Umbridge and Time Travelers out to ruin my life, one book at a time
by DevilGal112
Summary: Harry thought it was gonna be as normal a day he could have at Hogwarts with his friends, but Umbridge and people of the future have another idea. Join Hogwarts as they read seven books about Harry's life. Warning: Mentions of abuse.
1. Prologue

**Disclaimer: I DO NOT OWN HARRY POTTER! J.K. ROWLING DOES!**

Chapter One: Prologue

It was a normal day at Hogwarts school of Witch Craft and Wizardry, or as normal as it could be. Three students could be seen walking across the grounds of the school. Their names were Harry Potter, Ron Weasley, and Hermione Granger. They were were in their 5th year at Hogwarts, finishing their second term into the year. Things weren't exactally going that good with the fact that no one believed that Voldemort was back, a Toad named Umbridge was the new DADA teacher who's uses blood-quills at her detentions and was the High Inquisitor for Hogwarts. Everyone hated her, except, of course, most, if not all, the Slytherins along with the caretaker, Argus Filch. They got tired of walking and decided to go back inside since lunch should be starting in the Great Hall soon.

Once they got back up to the castle, Umbridge's voice rang through the corridors. "All students and Staff to the Great Hall Immediately." Harry groaned. What did that Toad want now?

They walked to the Great Hall along with everybody else. Nearly everybody was there once they got there.

They went over to the Gryffindor table next to Ginny, Neville and the Twins (Fred and George). Umbridge was standing in front of everybody with a look of satisfaction and triumph on her face.  
In front of her there was a stack of seven books and in her had was a piece of parchment. When everybody was there and seated she started her speech. "Hem, Hem." she started. "Now that you're all here and seated I will explain why I brought you all here. While I was in my room, these seven books appeared on my desk along with a note" She gestured to the seven books in front of her and the piece of parchment in her hand. " The note reads this:

Dear Hogwarts,

We send these books from the future to help with the on-coming war and to prevent some deaths, free innocent people and prove who's lying and who's not. Harry we are sorry about this, but we had to do this. Umbridge got a separate note explaining what they are about and that they are 100% true.

Sincerely,

The Golden and Silver Trios. "

Talking erupted around the Great Hall as everybody tried and figure out who the Golden and Silver Trios were.

Umbridge asked them all to be quiet and continued her speech. "They are all about Harry Potter and his years at Hogwarts" Harry looked up and glared at her. "Is that even legal?!" He yelled at her. She smiled evilly. "Oh, yes. It's all 100% legal. I've talked to the Minister and he agrees that we should read these books to prove that you are lying." Of course, Harry thought bitterly, the Minister approved so they have to read it in front of the whole school.

He just hoped they didn't mention his home life at the Dursleys, but with his luck they would. He never told anyone about his cupboard, being starved most his life, never having any friends, stuff of his own, and everything else that he had endured while living there. Ron, Hermione,Fred and George had a small idea since Ron, Fred and George had rescued him from the Dursleys in his 2nd year, they didn't know anything else, really. He put his head on the table and sighed, might as well get it over with, since he had no choice.

Once everybody calmed down again, Umbridge continued. "Before we start I have a few guests that will be arriving shortly." Dumbledore stood up and announced that he had invited a few of his own guests that should be arriving shortly as well. A few minutes later, the door to the Great Hall opened.  
Who came in was: Percy Weasley,Cornelius Fudge, Bill Weasley, Charlie Weasley, Molly Weasley, Arthur Weasley, Remus Lupin, Sirius Black as Snuffles, Nymphadora Tonks, and Mad-Eye Moody.

They sat in the Tables accordingly: Gryffindor- Remus, Sirius, Molly, Arthur, Bill and Charlie. Hufflepuff- Tonks. Teachers- Mad-Eye, Fudge and Percy.

"Now that the guests have arrived we shall start on the first book called Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone." Umbridge said, continuing her speech. "The seven books are named Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, Harry Potter and the Order of the Pheonix, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, and Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. Four Books are from the past, one book in from the past, present and future, and the last two are from the future. Everything in these books are 100% true. I have a very reliable source, so these will prove that Harry Potter is a liar." After a minutes silence she said. "We shall begin reading now. I shall read first." Then she picked up the first book and began to read.


	2. The Boy Who Lived

**Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter, J.K. Rowling does.**

**A/N: Finally finished the next chapter. Read and Review, let me know what you think. Enjoy!**

**Chapter Two: The Boy Who Lived**  
_Previous Chapter: ...We will begin reading now. I shall read first." Then she picked up the first book and began to read._

**"Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone."** she started.** "Chapter One, The Boy Who Lived."**

Harry groaned. 'Of course, that's the name of the first chapter.'

**Mr. and Mrs. Dursley , of number four, Privet Drive, were proud to say that they were perfectly normal, thank you very much**

Harry snorted, 'The Dursley's were anything but normal' he thought, just as Fred and George said. "Your Welcome!" Umbridge glared at them, then continued.

**They were the last people you'd expect to be involved in anything strange or mysterious, because they just didn't hold with such nonsense. Mr. Dursley was a Director of a firm called Grunnings, which made drills.**

"Drills?" was heard around the the hall, mostly from pure-bloods and Slytherins.

"Drills are a type of tool used to make holes in and connect wood and stuff like that. It's mostly used for building." explained Hermione.

"Anyone who has questions about any muggle items throughout the books can write them down on a piece of parchment and ask me or any muggle-born or half-blood students who grew up in the muggle world" Said Professer Burbich, The Muggle Studies Professer.  
Around the Great Hall people were taking out parchment and quills just in case. This includes, of course, Mr. Weasley. "Is everybody done talking?" snapped Umbridge. There were several nods around the Great Hall. "Good." and than she continued.

**He was a big, beefy man with hardly any neck, although he did have a very large mustache. Mrs. Dursley was thin and blonde and had nearly twice the usual amount of neck, which came in useful as she spent so much of her time craning over garden fences, spying on neighbors.**

'Those are pretty accurate descriptions' thought Harry with a quiet laugh. The people close to him looked at him strangely, but didn't question him on it.

**The Dursley's had a small son called Dudley and in their opinion there was no finer boy anywhere.**

"SMALL?!" asked Harry incredulously People looked at him weirdly but he ignored them and kept talking. "For one, Dudley is nowhere near small, he's like the size of a baby whale."  
There was some laughter at this, but they were wondering why Harry was talking bad about his family.  
"And Second, There are plenty of finer boys then Dudley, He's a bullying pig." Nobody said anything, so Umbridge, glaring at Harry for putting on what she thought was another show for attention, continued.

**The Dursley's had everything they wanted, but they also had a secret,**

"What secret?" asked Fred and George together.  
"Listen and you'll found out." snapped Molly. Umbridge continued.

**and their greatest fear was that somebody would discover it. They didn't think they could bear it if anyone found out about the Potters.**

"THERE IS NOTHING WRONG WITH THE POTTERS!" Screamed Remus, some of the teachers, the Weasley's (minus Percy), Hermione, and a few other people around the hall.  
Harry was startled at what everybody said, but hid it and blushed at everybody defending him and his family. Umbridge glared at everybody who talked and started reading again.

**Mrs. Potter was Mrs. Dursley's sister, but they hadn't met for several years; in fact Mrs. Dursley pretended she didn't even have a sister, because her sister and her good-for-nothing husband were as unDursleyish as it was possible to be.**

"James was not good-for-nothing!" Exclaimed Remus and a few others.  
"UnDursleyish isn't a word" said Hermione and most of the Ravenclaws. Umbridge glared and snapped. "Will you quit interrupting! I would like to finish this chapter before tomorrow." They all quieted down and she continued.

**The Dursley's shudder to think what the neighbors would say if the Potters arrived in the street.**

'That would be hilarious' Thought Harry.

**The Dursley's knew the Potters had a small son, too, but they had never seen him. This boy was another good reason for keeping the Potters away; they didn't want Dudley mixing with a child like that.**

"THERE IS NOTHING WRONG WITH HARRY!" was heard a lot around the hall, and Sirius growled. Harry was thoroughly surprised at how many people cared about him, but hid it again and blushed. Umbridge glared again before continuing reading.

**When Mr. and Mrs. Dursley woke up on the dull, gray Tuesday are story starts,**

"But I thought..." Started George,  
"That the story..." Continued Fred,  
"Already started?" They finished together.  
"Guys, I think the book means my story starts their and that everything before that was just background on the Dursleys." Said Harry, looking at the twins in slight annoyance.  
"Oooh. We get it now." They said together.  
Umbridge glared and continued.

**there was nothing about the cloudy sky outside to suggest that strange and mysterious things would soon be happening all over the country. Mr. Dursley hummed as he picked out his most boring tie**

The twins gasped. "His...most... boring...tie?" they asked, very slowly.

"Yeah. He only has boring ties, so it must be pretty hard to pick his most boring tie." Said Harry.  
The twins looked horrified. They looked at each other then fainted.  
The hall laughed.  
Umbridge glared and continued.

**for work, and Mrs. Dursley gossiped away happily as she wrestled a screaming Dudley into his high chair.**

"Brat" was muttered around the hall.

**None of them noticed a large, tawny owl flutter past the window. **

"Unobservant much?"Asked Draco.  
"If they payed enough attention on something other then their precious Duddikins, it would be a waste of time to them." Harry answered, a little aggressively.  
Draco and a lot of other people stared at Harry. They were all thinking almost the same thing: 'What does he mean? and is he including himself?'

**At half past eight, Mr. Dursley picked up his briefcase, pecked Mrs. Dursley on the cheek, and tried to kiss Dudley good-bye but missed, because Dudley was now having a tantrum and throwing his cereal at the walls.**

"Brat" was muttered around the hall, again. The twins finally woke up and continued to listen to the story.

**"Little Tyke," chortled Mr. Dursley**

"HE APPROVED OF THAT BEHAVIOR?!" Yelled most of the adults in the room.  
"Yep." Said Harry. "Dudley was perfect and everything he did was perfect no matter what it was."  
A lot of people were staring at Harry, but he ignored them and motioned for Umbridge to continue.  
She glared, positive that everything he was saying was a lie and a plea for attention. Umbridge continued.

**as he left the house. He got into his car and backed out of number four's drive. It was on the corner of the street that he noticed the first sign of something peculiar-a cat reading a map.**

The Golden Trio and the Weasley twins looked at Professer Mcgonagall than at each other. They smirked, and nodded to each other. "IT'S MINNIE!" They yelled together, shocking everyone in the hall.  
Professer Mcgonagall looked at the five of them and said. "What makes you think it's me?"

"Well Professer..."Started Hermione,  
"You see..." Continued Ron,  
"Only you..."Continued Harry,  
"Could read a map..."Continued George,  
"As a cat..."Continued Fred,  
"Since your animagus is a cat!"They finished together, pleased with their knowledge.

"And how many Cat animagus's are there?" and Mcgonagall

"Probably a lot..."Said Hermione,  
"But only you..."Continued Ron,  
"Would be..."Continued Harry,  
"Reading a map..."Continued George,  
"Where young Harry here..."Continued Fred, pointing to Harry,  
"Would soon be living." They finished.

"Uh-huh, Okay." Said Mcgonagall, slightly freaked that the five of them could finish each others sentences. The rest of the hall was slightly freaked out as well.

"Professer Umbridge, why don't you continue?"Asked Harry.  
Umbridge glared, but continued.

**For a second, Mr. Dursley didn't realize what he had seen-then he jerked his head around to look again. There was a tabby cat**

The Trio and Twins looked at their Professor, but she didn't do anything that they could use to further prove that the cat was her.

**standing on the corner of Privet Drive, but there wasn't a map in sight. What could he have been thinking of? It must have been a trick of the light.**

"Yeah...just a trick of the light. No real map, just the light playing games on your eyes. Nothing to worry about." Harry said as if he was talking to a little kid.  
A few chuckled.  
Umbridge glared, and continued, again.

**Mr. Dursley blinked and stared at the cat. It stared back. As drove around the corner and up the road, he watched the cat in his mirror. It was now reading the sign that said Privet Drive-no,****_ looking_**** at the sign; cat's couldn't read maps ****_or_**** signs.**

"Professor, does this mean you can't read maps or signs?" Asked Harry innocently.

"Mr. Potter, you know very well that I can read maps and signs, otherwise I would have been lost all my life." Replied Professor Mcgonagall.

"Ok Professer." Then Harry turned to Ron and Hermione and beckoned the twins over. The twins came over and Harry smirked. "I have the perfect plan to see if Mcgonagall can really read maps and signs." The twins looked at Harry as if Christmas had come early and asked simultaneously:  
"Will you go pranking with us? Please?" Harry smirked in reply, then said, "We'll continue this conversation later."

The twins went back to their seats, silently swearing to gt Harry to prank with them.  
Umbridge glared and continued.

**Mr. Dursley gave himself a little shake and put the cat out of his mind. As he drove toward town he thought of nothing except a large order of drills he was hoping to get that day.**

"And I thought Ron had a one-track mind." muttered Hermione. Harry heard and had to hide a snort.

**But on the edge of town, drills were driven out of his mind by something else.**

"What?" asked Fred.  
"Listen and you'll find out." Replied George.

**As he sat in the usual morning traffic jam, he couldn't help noticing that there seemed to be a lot of strangely dressed people about. People in cloaks.**

"What's wrong with cloaks?" Some purebloods asked.  
"Nothing, just that muggles don't where cloaks." Answered Hermione.

**Mr. Dursley couldn't bear people who dressed in funny clothes-the getups you saw on young people! He supposed this was some stupid new fashion.**

"Actually, it's pretty old. Muggles haven't worn Cloaks in centuries." Said Hermione.

**He drummed his fingers on the steering wheel and his eyes fell on a huddle of these weirdos**

"Weirdos? I'm pretty sure your the weirdo here." Said Harry.  
A few people snorted. Umbridge glared and continued.

**standing quite close by. They were whispering excitedly together. Mr. Dursley was enraged to see that a couple of them weren't young at all; why that man had to be older than he was, and wearing an emerald-green cloak! The nerve of him!**

"Yes! The Nerve of him!"Said the twins. Laughter rang through the hall.  
"SHUT UP!" yelled Umbridge. When nobody talked, she continued.

**But then it struck Mr. Dursley that this was probably some silly stunt-these people were obviously collecting for something...yes, that would be it. The traffic moved on and a few minutes later, Mr. Dursley arrived in the Grunnings parking lot, his mind back on drills. Mr. Dursley always sat with his back to the window in his office on the ninth floor. If he hadn't, he might have found it harder to concentrate on drills that morning. ****_He_**** didn't see the owls swooping past in broad daylight,**

"Why were we being so careless?" Asked a few students.  
It finally dawned on the adults and some of the older students what day it must be.

**though the people down in the street did; they pointed and gazed open-mouthed as owl after owl sped overhead. Most of them had never seen an owl even at nighttime.**

"Really? Then how do they get their mail?" A few purebloods asked.  
"A muggle postman delivers the mail to them." Answered Hermione.  
"Ok.."Said a few of them, still looking slightly confused.  
"I'll tell you more about the muggle post system at the end of the book if anyone wants to know more about it to understand it better." Said Professor Burbage. A few purebloods and some half-bloods nodded.

**Mr. Dursley, however, had a perfectly normal, owl-free morning. He had yelled at five different people.**

"Sounds lovely." Says Ginny sarcastically.

"You have no idea." Harry mumbles under his breathe, slightly wincing. Only Hermione and Ron notice. They look at each other, then Harry, and scooted closer to him.

**He made several important telephone calls and shouted a bit more.**

Harry suppressed a wince, but Ron and Hermione still noticed.  
"What's wrong, Harry?" whispered Hermione.  
"Nothing, 'Mione." whispered back Harry.  
"Nothing?" Hermione asked incredulously. She looked at Ron than back at Harry.  
"Harry, mate, somethings wrong. Whenever the book mentions your Uncle yelling, you wince." whispered Ron.  
"It's nothing, just memories." replies Harry.  
Hermione and Ron look at each other, swearing they were going to get Harry to trust them enough to tell them so they could help.

**He was in a very good mood until lunchtime, when he thought he'd stretch his legs and walk across the road**

"What?!" yelled Harry. "He walked? Oh god, the Apocalypse is starting." Harry groaned.  
There was laughter around the hall, but the twins were just looking at Harry as if he was an alien.  
"Harry. Please go pranking with us. Please." Begged the twins.

The professors looked horrified. 'The Weasley twins and a Marauders son? Lord help us if Harry says yes'

"Nah." replied Harry after seeing the professors horrified looks. The teachers sighed a breathe of relief, but when they weren't looking Harry winked at the twins and mouthed. 'I'll think about it.'  
The twins were so happy that they were crying. The teachers took the tears as ones of sadness at not getting Harry to prank with them.  
Harry motioned for Umbridge to continue.  
Umbridge glared at what she thought was his most recent plea for attention. She continued.

**to buy himself a bun from the bakery.**

Harry breathed a sigh of relief. "No worries. False alarm. He walked to get food, no big deal." Said Harry.  
The Hall laughed. If you listened closely you could swear that Snuffles sounded like he was laughing.  
Umbridge glared and continued.

**He'd forgotten all about the people in cloaks until he passed a group of them next to the baker's. He eyed them angrily as he passed. He didn't know why, but they made him uneasy. This bunch were whispering excitedly, too, and he couldn't see a single collecting tin. It was on his way back past them, clutching a large doughnut in a bag, that he caught a few words of what they were saying. **  
**"The Potters, that's right, that's what I heard-"**  
**"-yes, there son, Harry-**"

Everyone who hadn't already figured out what day this must be, finally figured it out.  
Harry looked at the table and ignored the looks getting sent his way, focusing on listening to the story.

**Mr. Dursley stopped dead.**

"If only." Harry muttered sadly under his breathe.  
The people who heard him shot worried looks at each other, all thinking the same thing. 'What had that man done to get Harry to hate him and want him dead?'

**Fear flooded him. He looked back at the whisperers as if he wanted to say something to them, but thought better of it. He dashed back across the road, hurried up to his office, snapped at his secretary not to disturb him, seized his telephone, and had almost finished dialing his home number when he changed his mind. He put the receiver back down and stroked his mustache, thinking...no, he was being stupid.**

"What? He finally realized he was stupid? Congratulations to him, too bad I think he forgot."Said Harry.  
Everyone in the hall was laughing at this, except, of course, the obvious.  
The twins grabbed Harry, and dragged him to a corner. They set up privacy charms so no one could hear them.  
"Harry. Please go pranking with us. You'd be an awesome prankster." Said George.  
"Yes, I will go pranking with you. I'm not a Marauder's son for nothing." Replied Harry.  
The twins looked at Harry like he had grown a second head.  
"Marauder's..."Started Fred,  
"Son?"Finished George.  
"Yeah. My dad was Prongs, Sirius is Padfoot, Remus is Moony and Wormtail is the traitor Pettigrew." Replied Harry, looking slightly amused.  
"Thank you Harry!" The twins said together, hugging Harry.  
"And, I'll get Padfoot and Moony to help, if you want." Said Harry.  
"Yes, please, thank you." Said the twins together.  
"Meet me at the end of this chapter in the Room of Requirements and we will discuss the prank idea I had for Minnie." Said Harry.  
"OK." Said the twins. They took down the privacy charms and went back to their seats. The twins had a hard time hiding how happy they were.

"If your done talking, I'll continue now." Said Umbridge venomously, glaring.  
When nobody talked, she continued.

**Potter wasn't such an unusual name.**

"In the wizarding world it is. Your the last Potter, Harry." Said, surprisingly, Draco, without his usual sneer.  
"Thanks, I guess, Draco." Replied Harry.  
The Hall was surprised. 'Since when did Harry and Draco call each other by their first name's?'

**He was sure there were lots of people called Potter with a son called Harry. Come to think of it, he wasn't even sure his nephew ****_was_**** called Harry.**

"He didn't even know your name?" asked Hermione. "He knows it know, right?"  
Harry shrugged, trying to figure out if his Uncle ever called him by his name, and he was coming up blank so far.

**He'd never even seen the boy. It might have been Harvey. Or Harold.**

"Harvey Potter." Said George.  
"Harold Potter." Said Fred.  
"Nah, not the same ring to it as Harry Potter." They said together.  
There was laughter throughout the hall.  
"Professor Dumbledore, when's lunch?" Asked Ron.  
People laughed, Ron and his Stomach.  
"After this chapter, Mr. Weasley." Replied Dumbledore.  
Ron nodded, and Umbridge continued, a glare still fixed on her face.

**There was no point in worrying Mrs. Dursley; she always got so upset at any mention of her sister. He didn't blame her-If ****_he'd_**** had a sister like that...**

"You're sister is worse." Said Harry.  
"Is she the one...?" asked Ron.  
Harry nodded, and Harry, Hermione, Ron and the Twins, who heard Ron's question, and remembered it from two years ago, all laughed.  
The hall looked at them strangely.  
Harry, seeing their looks, said. "Third book."  
They nodded, and went back to what they were doing.  
They finished laughing, and Umbridge continued.

**but all the same, those people in cloaks... He found it a lot harder to concentrate on drills that afternoon and when he left the building at five o'clock, he was till so worried that he walked straight into someone just outside the door.**

"Oh god, I hope they lived." Said Harry.  
Laughter was heard throughout the hall.

**"Sorry," He grunted,**

"He knows that word?" Harry asked, actually surprised.  
The hall laughed at the look on his face. His eyes were slightly bugging out of his head and his mouth was open in a small 'o'.

"Harry? Harry? Are you there?" Asked the twins, waving their hands in front of his face.  
Fred conjured a bucket of cold water and splashed it in Harry's face.  
Harry jumped, and asked. "What the hell was that for?"

"You zoned out." Replied George.  
"Ok, next time, just slap me or something, don't dump water on me." Said Harry.  
"Ok, We'll keep that in mind." replied the twins.  
Harry motioned for Umbridge to continue. And, glaring, she did.

**as the tiny old man stumbled and almost fell. It was a few seconds before Mr. Dursley realized that the man was wearing a violet cloak.**

"At least he didn't die, but since he is wearing a cloak he won't be in my Uncles good book." Said Harry.  
A few people laughed.

**He didn't seem at all upset at being almost knocked to the ground. On the contrary, his face split into a wide smile and he said in a squeaky voice that made passerby stare,**

"Professor Flitwick, was that you?"asked Luna.  
"Yes, it was." Replied said Professor, blushing slightly.  
People around the hall laughed.

**"Don't be sorry, my dear sir, for nothing could upset me today! Rejoice, for You-Know-Who has gone at last! Even muggles like yourself should be celebrating, this happy, happy day!"**

"What happened to the Statue of Secrecy that day?" asked some people.  
"Everybody thought that You-Know-Who was gone forever, and were so happy that the nightmare of a war was over, that we lost our heads." Answered McGonagall.  
The ones who asked nodded their heads and listened to Umbridge, who had just started reading from where she left off.

**And the old man hugged Mr. Dursley around the middle and walked off.**

"How did your arms fit?" Asked Harry incredulously.  
"I honestly don't know. He was so huge, it was crazy." Replied the Professor.  
Laughter was heard around the hall.  
Umbridge glared and continued.

** stood rooted to the spot. He had been hugged by a complete stranger. He also thought he had been called a muggle, whatever that was. He was rattled. He hurried to his car and set off for home, hoping he was imagining things, which he had never hoped before, because he didn't approve of imagination.**

"Didn't... approve...of...imagination?" asked the twins slowly, breathing slowly to keep calm.  
"Yeah." Replied Harry. "He doesn't approve of imagination."  
"How did you survive?" Asked the twins.  
"It was hard, you know, not being allowed to use imagination, but I tried to use it anyways and survived." Replied Harry.

People laughed, but the twins couldn't take it anymore and fainted, again.  
Harry smirked evilly. Everyone who saw it scooted farther away from him. Harry conjured two large buckets of cold water and levitated the twins to the middle of the floor. He put a bucket above each twin and, making sure that only the twins could get wet,poured the water on them.

The twins jumped up comically and looked straight at Harry who had an indifferent expression on his face.  
The whole hall laughed, even the teacher couldn't help smiling. (Only the obvious didn't laugh or smile and just glared or just ignored them.)

The twins looked at Harry, then each other and burst out laughing. "You got us good, Harry." gasped out the twins. Harry couldn't keep it in any more and burst out laughing as well. Harry and the twins were rolling in the floor laughing for 10 minutes, then Dumbledore thought everyone laughed enough and got their attention by sending loud bangs across the hall.  
"I think that's enough laughing for now. Delores, continue, if you please."  
Umbridge glared, but continued anyways.

**As he pulled into the driveway of number four, the first thing he saw-and it didn't improve his mood-was the tabby cat he'd spotted that morning.**

The twins and the trio looked at each other and McGonagall, but otherwise didn't do anything.

**It was now sitting on his garden wall. He was sure it was the same one; it had the same markings around it's eyes. "Shoo!" said Mr. Dursley loudly.**

"That won't work on Minnie." Sang Harry and the twins.  
Mcgonagall just shook her head, hiding her small smile.

**The cat didn't move.**

"See?" they asked.

**It just gave him a stern look.**

"Defiantly Minnie." Said Harry. Him and everyone who had received said look shivered slightly.

**Was this normal cat behavior?**

"No, but it's normal Minnie behavior." Said George.

**Mr. Dursley wondered. Trying to pull himself together, he let himself into the house. He was still determined not to mention anything to his wife. Mrs. Dursley had a nice, normal day. she told him about Mrs. Next Door's problem with her daughter and how Dudley learned a new word ("Won't!").**

"That is not something to be proud of." Said Mrs. Weasley.

"It probably isn't, but this is their Ickle-Duddikins we're talking about." Said Harry.  
People laughed at Dudley's nickname. Mrs. Weasley and some of the other adults shook their head's. 'It doesn't matter who it is, that is not how you raise a child. What else have they done to raise this child?' was going through most of their minds.

**Mr. Dursley tried to act normally. When Dudley had been put to bed, he went into the living room in time to catch the last report on the evening news: "And finally, bird-watchers everywhere have reported that the nation's owls have been behaving very unusually today. Although owls normally hunt at night and are hardly ever seen in daylight, there have been hundreds of sightings of these birds flying in every direction since sunrise. Experts are unable to explain why the owls have suddenly changed their sleeping patterns." The newscaster allowed himself a grin.**

"He probably knows why."Said Hermione.  
"Probably. He might be a squib or muggle-born." Replied Harry.

**"Most mysterious. And now, over to Jim McGuffin with the weather. Going to be any more showers of owl's tonight, Jim?" "Well, Ted," said the weatherman**

"Wait. Tonks was that your dad?" Asked Remus.  
"You know what, I think it was. He sometimes works at the weather station." Replied Tonks.  
Remus nodded.

**"I don't know about that, but it'e not the only the owls that have been acting oddly today. Viewers as far as Kent, Yorkshire, and Dundee have been phoning in to tell me that instead of the rain I promised yesterday, they've had a downpour of shooting stars! Perhaps people have been celebrating Bonfire Night early-it's not until next week, folks! But I can promise a wet night tonight." Mr. Dursley sat frozen in his armchair. Shooting stars all over Britain? Owls flying by daylight? Mysterious people in cloaks all over the place? And a whisper, a whisper about the Potters...**

"He's putting it together. If someone as stupid as him could start putting it together, than who else did?" Asked Mcgonagall.  
"To be fair, Professor, He did know some about wizards and Magic since Aunt Petunia married him and my mom, her sister, was a witch." Said Harry.  
Mcgonagall just looked at him and motioned for Umbridge to read. She did, glaring all the while.

**Mrs. Dursley came into the living room carrying two cups of tea. It was no good. He's have to say something to her. He cleared his throat nervously. "Er-Petunia, dear-you haven't heard from your sister have you?" As he had expected, Mrs. Dursley looked shocked and angry. After all, they normally pretended she didn't have a sister.**

"Now that's mean." Said Hermione.  
"Hermione, I know it's mean, but they're mean. I got used to not mentioning my parents under their roof, it's not a big deal that she pretended she didn't have a sister. It's not nice, but that's just how it is." Replied Harry.  
People looked at Harry strangely Before anyone could ask him anything about what he said, Harry motioned for Umbridge to read, and, glaring, she did.

**"No," she said sharply. "Why?" "Funny stuff on the news," Mr. Dursley mumbled. "Owls...shooting stars...and there were a lot of funny-looking people in town today..." "****_So?_****" snapped Mrs. Dursley. "Well, I just thought...maybe...it was something to do with..you know..****_her_**** crowd."**

"Her crowd?" asked Mcgonagall.  
"Yeah, you know, wizards and witches." Said Harry. "Did you really expect him to say that or the 'm-word'?"  
"The 'm-word'?" inquired Hermione.  
"Magic." was all Harry said. Harry motioned for Umbridge to read before anyone else could ask about the 'm-word'.

**Mrs. Dursley sipped her tea through pursed lips. Mr. Dursley wondered whether he dared tell her he's heard the name 'Potter." He decided he didn't dare.**

"Coward." coughed Fred.  
Some people laughed slightly.

**Instead he said, as casually as he could, "Their son-he'd be about Dudley's age now, wouldn't he?" "I suppose so," said Mrs. Dursley stiffly. "What's his name again? Howard, isn't it?"**

"Howard Potter." Said George.  
"Nah, still hasn't got the same ring to it as 'Harry Potter' does." Said Fred.  
People laughed.

**"Harry. Nasty, common name, if you ask me."**

"Nobody asked you." snapped Hermione. "I, personally, think it's a great better name than Dudley."  
People laughed again.

**"Oh, yes," said Mr. Dursley, his heart sinking horribly. "Yes, I quite agree." He didn't another word on the subject as they went upstairs to bed. While Mrs. Dursley was in the bathroom, Mr. Dursley crept to the bedroom window and peered down into the front garden. The cat was still there. It was staring down Privet Drive as though it were waiting for something.**

'What is Mcgonagall waiting for?' went through some peoples minds.

**Was he imagining things? Could all this have anything to do with the Potters? If it did...if it got out that they were related to a pair of-well, he didn't think he could bear it. The Dursleys got into bed. Mrs. Dursley fell asleep quickly but Mr. Dursley lay awake, turning it all over in his mind. His last comforting thought was that even if the Potters were involved, there was no reason for them to come near him and Mrs. Dursley. The Potters know very well what he and Petunia thought about their kind...He couldn't see how he and Petunia could get mixed in anything that might be going on-he yawned and turned over-it couldn't affect ****_them_****...How very wrong he was.**

"Why? Why couldn't Uncle Vernon be right just that once?" Asked Harry sadly under his breathe.  
The few people who heard him (Fred, George, Ron, Hermione, Remus and Sirius) shared worried looks.

**Mr. Dursley might have been drifting into an uneasy sleep, but the cat on the wall outside was showing no sign of sleepiness. It was sitting as still as a statue, it's eyes fixed unblinkingly on the far corner of Privet Drive. It didn't so much as quiver when a car door slammed on the next street, nor when two owls swooped overhead. I fact, it was nearly midnight before the cat moved at all. A man appeared on the corner the cat had been watching, appeared so suddenly and silently you'd have thought he just popped out of the ground. The cat's tail twitched and its eyes narrowed. Nothing like this man had ever been seen on Privet Drive. He was tall, thin, and very old, judging by the silver of his hair and beard, which were both long enough to tuck into his belt.**

"Dumbledore!" was heard throughout the hall. Umbridge glared and continued.

**He was wearing long robes, a purple cloak that swept the ground, and high-heeled, buckled boots. His blue eyes were light, bright, and sparkling behind half-moon spectacles and his nose was very long and crooked, as though it had been broken at least twice. This man's name was Albus Dumbledore.**

"Yay!" was heard around the hall. Umbridge glared and continued.

**Albus Dumbledore didn't seem to realize that he had just arrived in a street where everything from his name to his boots was unwelcome.**

"Oh, I noticed." chuckled Dumbledore. "I just didn't care."  
A few people laughed.

**He was busy rummaging in his cloak, looking for something. But he did seem to realize he was being watched, because he looked up suddenly at the cat, which was still staring at him from the other end of the street. For some reason, the sight of the cat seemed to amuse him. He chuckled and muttered, "I should have known."**

"See? Even Dumbledore knew it was Minnie." Said Harry.  
People laughed. McGonagall glared, hiding a small smile.

**He found what he was looking for in his inside pocket. It seemed to be a silver cigarette lighter.**

'Dumbledore smokes?' was going through some people's minds.

**He flicked it open, held it up in the air, and clicked it. The nearest street lamp went out with a little pop.**

"Cool!" Was shouted by various people throughout the hall.

**He clicked it again-the next lamp flickered into darkness. Twelve times he clicked the Put-Outer,**

"It's actual name is a Deliminator." Said Dumbledore.

**until the only lights left on the whole street were two tiny pinpricks in the distance, which were the eyes of the cat watching him. If anyone looked out of their window now, even beady-eyed Mrs. Dursley, they wouldn't be able to see anything that was happening down on the pavement. Dumbledore slipped the Put-Outer back inside his cloak and set off down the street toward number four, where he sat down on the wall next to the cat. He didn't look at it, but after a moment spoke to it. "Fancy seeing you here, Professor McGonagall."**

"See? It is Minnie." The twins and Harry said smugly.  
Some people laughed and McGonagall rolled her eyes, smiling slightly.

**He turned to smile at the tabby, but it had gone. Instead he was smiling at a rather severe-looking woman who was wearing square glasses exactly the shape of the markings the cat had around its eyes. She, too, was wearing a cloak, and emerald one. Her black hair was drawn into a tight bun. She looked distinctly ruffled. "How did you know it was me?" she asked. "My dear Professor, I've never seen a cat sit so stiffly." "You'd be stiff if you'd been sitting on a brick wall all day," Said Professor McGonagall.**

"Nobody asked you to, Professor." Said Harry.  
McGonagall glared.

**"All day? When you could have been out celebrating? I must have passed at least a dozen feasts and parties on my way here. Professor McGonagall sniffed angrily.**

"Professor, how do you sniff angrily?" asked Harry.  
McGonagall ignored him.

**"Oh yes, everyone's celebrating, all right," she said impatiently. "You'd think they'd be a bit more careful, but no-even muggles have noticed something's going on. It was on their news." She jerked her head back at the Dursley's dark living-room window. "I heard it. Flocks of owls...shooting stars...Well they're not completely stupid.**

Laughter rang throughout the hall.

**They were bound to notice something. Shooting stars down in Kent-I'll bet that was Dedalus Diggle. He never had much sense." "You can't blame them," said Dumbledore gently. "We've had precious little to celebrate for eleven years."**

"Eleven years?" asked Harry. "I hope this war doesn't last that long."

"THERE IS NO WAR!" Screeched Umbridge.

"Yes, there is. For Merlin's sake, just accept that Voldemort is back." Flinches could be seen throughout the hall.

"He is not back!"

"Yes he is!"

"Delores, just read." Said Fudge.

Umbridge glared, but obliged.

**"I know that," said Professor McGonagall irritably. "But that's no reason to lose our heads. People are being downright careless, out on the streets in broad daylight, not even dressed in muggle clothes, swapping rumors." She threw a sharp, sideways glance at Dumbledore, as though hoping he was going to tell her something, but he didn't, so she went on. "A fine thing it would be if on the very day You-Know-Who seems to have disappeared at last, the Muggles found out about us all. I suppose he really ****_has_**** gone, Dumbledore?" "It certainly seems so," said Dumbledore. "We have much to be thankful for. Would you care for a lemon drop?"**

"A _what_?" was heard around the hall. Dumbledore chuckled.

**"A ****_what_****?"**

Everyone who asked blushed as the hall laughed.

**"A lemon drop. They're a kind of Muggle sweet I'm rather fond of." "No, thank you," said Professor McGonagall coldly, as though she didn't think this was the moment for lemon drops.**

"Well, it wasn't." Said Professor McGonagall stiffly.  
"Ah, my dear Professor, it is always the moment for lemon drops." And to further prove his point he conjured multiple bowls of lemon drops on all the tables. Some people took some and others just ignored them.

**"As I say, even if You-Know-Who ****_has_**** gone-" "My dear Professor, surely a sensible person like yourself can call him by his name? All this 'You-Know-Who' nonsense -for eleven years I have been trying to persuade people to call him by his proper name: ****_Voldemort_****."**

People flinched. "Oh, for Merlins sake, It's just a name!" Screamed Harry. People were surprised by this outberst that they stopped what they were doing and stared at Harry. "If something suddenly decided to take over the world, would you start to be scared of a name that you never had a problem saying before? It's stupid. And Professor Dumbledore, wouldn't Voldemort's proper name be Tom Riddle?"

"Yes, I guess it would be, Harry." replied Dumbledore.

"Anyway. See? Voldemort isn't even his real name! His real name is Tom Marvolo Riddle, and he isn't a pure-blood, no matter what he says. His dad was a muggle so he is a Half-Blood." People were shocked at this revelation, especially most if the pure-blood Slytherins who's family followed Voldemort. "Professor Umbridge, Please continue reading."  
Umbridge glared at him and continued, while everyone in the hall went over Harry's mini-speech.

**Professor McGonagall flinched, but Dumbledore, who was unsticking two lemon drops, seemed not to notice. "It all gets so confusing if we keep saying 'You-Know-Who.' I have never seen any reason to be frightened of saying Voldemort's name." "I know you haven't," said Professor McGonagall, sounding half exasperated, half admiring. "But your different. Everyone knows your the only one You-Know-oh, all right,****_ Voldemort,_**** was frightened of." "You flatter me," said Dumbledore calmly. "Voldemort had powers I'll never have."**

"Only because you're too noble to use them, sir." Said Hermione.  
Dumbledore chuckled slightly and motioned for Umbridge to continue reading.

**"Only because you're too-well-****_noble_**** to use them."**

Hermione blushed as the hall laughed.

**"It's lucky it's dark. I haven't blushed so much since Madam Pomfrey told me she liked my new earmuffs."**

"TMI, Professor." Said the twins and Harry, grimacing. Madam Pomfrey and Dumbledore blushed slightly and Umbridge continued reading.

**Professor McGonagall shot a sharp look at Dumbledore and said, "The owls are nothing next to the ****_rumors_**** that are flying around. You know what everyone's saying. About why he disappeared? About what finally stopped him?"**

A few people glanced at Harry, but he ignored them.

**It seemed that Professor McGonagall had reached the point she was most anxious to discuss, the real reason she had been waiting on a cold, hard wall all day,**

"It was." admitted McGonagall.

**for neither as a cat nor as a woman had she fixed Dumbledore with such a piercing stare as she did now.**

A few people shivered thinking of that stare.

**It was plain that whatever "everyone" was saying, she was not going to believe it until Dumbledore told her it was true. Dumbledore, however, was choosing another lemon drop and did not answer. "What they're ****_saying_****," she pressed on, "is that last night Voldemort turned up in Godric's Hollow. He went to find the Potters. The rumor is that Lily and James Potter are-are-that they're-****_dead_****."**

People bowed their heads in respect, some had tears in their eyes. Harry ignored all the pitying looks being sent his way and focused on the table.

**Dumbledore bowed his head. Professor McGonagall gasped. "Lily and James...I can't believe it...I didn't want to believe it...Oh, Albus..."**

"Professor, I didn't know you cared so much." said Harry sadly.  
McGonagall smiled sadly at him.

**Dumbledore reached out and patted her on the shoulder. "I know...I know..."he said heavily. Professor McGonagall's voice trembled as she went on. "That's not all. They're saying he tried to kill the Potter's son, Harry.**

People glanced at Harry again, and he just continued to ignore them.

**But-he couldn't. He couldn't kill a little boy. No one knows why, or how, but they're saying that when he couldn't kill Harry Potter, Voldemort's power somehow broke-and that's why he's gone."**

People again glanced at Harry, and he finally had enough. "Quit starring at me! It's annoying." People stared at him then looked away. Snape was deep in thought. 'Did Potter dislike his fame? Or was this just an act for more attention?'

**Dumbledore nodded glumly. "It's-it's ****_true_****?" faltered Professor McGonagall. "After all he's done...all the people he's killed...he couldn't kill a little boy? It's just astounding...of all the things to stop him...but how in the name of heaven did Harry survive?"**

People risked a sparing glance at Harry.  
"It wasn't me who stopped him, it was my mom." Harry mumbled.

**"We can only guess," said Dumbledore. "We may never know." Professor McGonagall pulled out a lace handkerchief and dabbed at her eyes beneath he spectacles. Dumbledore gave a great sniff as he took a golden watch from his pocket and examined it. It a very odd watch. It had twelve hands but no numbers; instead, little planets were moving around the edge.**

"What's so odd about that?" asked some pure-bloods.  
"Muggle watches have only two hands and twelve number's." answered Hermione.  
Those who asked nodded and Umbridge continued reading.

**It must have made sense to Dumbledore, though, because he put it back pocket and said, "Hagrid's late. I suppose it was he who told you i'd be here, by the way?" "Yes," said Professor McGonagall. "And I don't suppose you're going to tell me ****_why_**** you're here, of all places?" "I've come to bring Harry to his aunt and uncle. They're the only family he has left now."**

"Sadly." mumbled Harry under his breathe. The people next to him sent a quick, worried glance at Harry before continuing to listen to the story.

**"You don't mean-you ****_can't_**** mean the people who live here?" cried Professor McGonagall, jumping to her feet and pointing at number four. "Dumbledore-you can't. I've been watching them all day. You couldn't find two people less like us.**

'Ain't that the truth' thought Harry, smirking.

**And they've got this son-I saw him kicking his mother all the way up the street, screaming for sweets.**

"So, nothings changed." Said Harry, laughing slightly. A few other people laughed as well.

**Harry Potter come and live here!" "It's the best place for him," said Dumbledore firmly. "His aunt and uncle will be able to explain everything to him when he's older.**

"Too bad they didn't." mumbled Harry. Those who heard him shot a quick glance at him, then they continued listening.

**I've written them a letter."**

"A letter?" asked Hermione. "You think you can explain everything that had happened in a letter!?"  
"Well, Miss Granger, I did the best I could to eplain it to them and ensure that they kept Harry." replied Dumbledore. Hermione nodded, but still slightly glared at him. 'A letter is not the way you tell someone that their sister and brother-in-law are dead.' thought Hermione.

**"A letter?" repeated McGonagall faintly, sitting back down on the wall. "Really, Dumbledore, you think you can explain all this in a letter?**

Hermione blushed at almost saying the same thing an McGonagall again. People laughed.  
"Well, 'Mione, I guess we now know for sure that you think like Minnie." Said Ron. Hermione glared at him playfully and swatted his arm. "Ow, 'Mione. What was that for?" Hermione just laughed and turned away from him. She mtioned for Umbridge to read.  
When Umbridge continued reading, a lot of people were having similiar thoughts. 'Was this the way they always acted? Like normal teenagers? I thought they only saved the world every year.'

**These people will never understand him!**

'Ain't that the truth.' thought Harry, again, sadly.

**He'll be famous-a legend-I wouldn't be surprised if today was known as Harry Potter day in the future-**

Harry looked absolutely horrified. "There isn't one, is there?"  
"Alas, no. The papers were lost somewhere before it was finalized." Said Dumbledore.  
"Thank Merlin." breathed out Harry.  
'Did Harry really dislike his fame?' was going through some peoples minds.

**there will be books written about Harry-**

"We can see that." said the twins, staring at the pile of books in the front of the hall. Some people laughed.

**every child in our world will know his name!"**

"Sadly." said Harry. People looked at him strangely especially Snape. 'Did Potter really dislike his fame or was he acting for more attention?' went through Snape's mind.

**"Exactly," said Dumbledore, looking very seriously over the top of his half-moon glasses. "It would be enough to turn any boy's head. Famous before ha can walk and talk! Famous for something he won't even remember!**

"Everybody not close to me thinks that I like my fame," started Harry, this caught everybody's attention. "but I don't. Why would I like being famous for my parents being killed when I was a baby? What happened that night wasn't really because of me. Voldemort vanished because my mother's love from sacrificing herself to save me, kept him from killing me, and caused the spell to backfire on himself. I don't like my fame, and never will." By the end of this speech everybody was speechless. 'Had Harry always thought this?' went through a lot of peoples minds.

Snape was trying to get his head around what Potter had just said. 'Potter doesn't like his fame.' went on in his head in repeat for a while. He should have known, he shouldn't have focused on the part of Harry, since when was it Harry?, that looked like James and focused on the real Harry. He doesn't know why he was suddenly believing Harry, but He was Lily's, his best friend's, son.  
"Delores, continue reading, if you please." said Dumbledore.  
Umbridge glared and continued.

**Can't you see how much better off he'll be, growing up away from all that until he's ready to take it?"**

"I understand your reasoning, sir, but there were other choices than leaving me with them." Harry told Dumbledore. Dumbledore looked t Harry, wondering if he should start regretting his decision on leaving Harry at the Dursleys.

**Professor McGonagall opened her mouth, changed he mind, swallowed, and then said, "Yes-yes, you're right, of course.**

"Thanks for trying, Professor, but couldn't you have tried a little harder?" asked Harry sadly. McGonagall looked sadly at Harry. 'What's going on at the Dursleys that makes Harry not want to live there?' was going through a lot of the adults and teachers minds. Dumbledore was starting to regret his decision.

**But how is the boy getting here, Dumbledore?" She eyed his cloak suddenly as though she thought he might be hiding Harry underneath it.**

"Ahh, the images!" screamed the twins and Harry, covering their eyes. People laughed and McGonagall blushed slightly. That was about where her train of thought was at that moment.

**"Hagrid's bringing him." "You think it-****_wise_****-to trust Hagrid with something as important as this?"**

"I would trust Hagrid with my life." The trio and the twins said together. Hagrid blushed at what they said.  
Dumbledore chuckled as McGonagall said, "Hagrid I'm sorry." Hagrid waved off her apology. Dumbledore motioned for Umbridge to continue reading.

**"I would trust Hagrid with my life," said Dumbledore.**

The trio and the twins blushed at saying the same thing as Dumbledore. People laughed and Hagrid blushed again.

**"I'm not saying his heart isn't in the right place," said Professor McGonagall grudgingly, "but you can't pretend he's not careless. He does tend to-**

"Sor-" started McGonagall, but was interrupted by Hagrid saying, "Nah, It's al'right Professor." McGonagall nodded.

**What was that?" A low rumbling sound had broken the silence around them. It grew steadily louder as they looked up and down the street for some sign of headlight; it swelled to a roar as they both looked up at the sky-a huge motorcycle fell out of the air and landed on the road in front of them.**

'That dream was real?' thought Harry bemusedly. Snuffled barked, thinking 'That is my bike.' "Cool!" was shouted throughout the hall.

**If the motorcycle was huge, it was nothing to the man sitting astride it. He was almost twice as tall as a normal man and at least five times as wide. He looked simply too big to be allowed, and so ****_wild_****-long tangles of bushy black hair and beard hid most of his face, he had hands the size of trash can lids, and his feet in their leather boots were like baby dolphins.**

"Accurate description." chuckled Ron, looking at Hagrid. A few people around him chuckled as well.

**In his vast, muscular arms he was holding a bundle of blankets. "Hagrid," said Dumbledore, sounding relieved. "At last. And where did you get that motorcycle?" "Borrowed it, Professor Dumbledore, sir," said the giant, climbing carefully off the motorcycle as he spoke. "Young Sirius Black lent it to me.**  
**Snuffles barked. Some people glared at the book, still thinking that Sirius was the traitor.**  
**I've got him, sir." "No problems, were there?" "No, sir-house was almost destroyed, but I got him out all right before the Muggles started swarmin' around. He fell asleep as we was flyin' over Bristol."**

"Awww," cooed the women in the Hall, minus, of course, the obvious.  
"Umm," started Harry awkwardly "The baby mentioned in the book in right here and no longer a baby." Some boys laughed at this. The women ignored him and Umbridge continued.

**Dumbledore and Professor McGonagall bent forward over the bundle of blankets. Inside, just visible, was a baby boy, fast asleep. Under a tuft of jet-black hair over his forehead they could see a curiously shaped cut, like a bolt of lightning.**

"Awww," Cooed the women in the hall, except this time some boys joined in to tease Harry. Some people glanced at Harry's scar, but Harry ignored them, flattening his hair over his scar.

**"Is that where-?" asked Professor McGonagall. "Yes," said Dumbledore. "He'll have that scar forever." "Couldn't you do something about it, Dumbledore?"**

Harry glanced up quickly, knowing that Dumbledore probably couldn't do anything.

**"Even if I could, I wouldn't. Scars come in handy. I have on myself above my left knee that is the perfect map of the London Underground.**

"Really?" asked the twins excitedly.  
"Yes." said Dumbledore, chuckling.  
"Cool!" was heard by a few people around the hall.  
'Wouldn't that include Gringotts?' thought Harry. 'I'll have to ask Dumbledore about it later.'

**Well-give him here, Hagrid-we'd better get this over with." Dumbledore took Harry in his arms and turned toward the Dursleys house. "Could I-could I say good-bye to him, sir?" asked Hagrid. He bent his great, shaggy head over Harry and gave him what must have been a very scratchy, whiskery kiss. Then, suddenly, Hagrid let out a howl like a wounded dog.**

Which Snuffles happily demonstrated, much to the amusement of most of the people in the hall.

**"Shhh!" hissed Professor McGonagall, "you'll wake the Muggles!" "S-s-sorry," sobbed Hagrid, taking out a large, spotted handkerchief and burying his face in it. "But I c-c-can't stand it-Lily an' James dead-an' poor little Harry off ter live with Muggles-"**

Harry smiled sadly at Hagrid. "Thanks, Hagrid." "No prob'lem Harry." replied Hagrid.

**"Yes, yes, it's all very sad, but get a grip in yourself , Hagrid, or we'll be found," Professor McGonagall whispered, patting Hagrid gingerly in the arm as Dumbledore stepped over the low garden wall and walked to the front door. He laid Harry gently on the doorstep, took a letter out of his cloak, tucked it inside Harry's blankets, and then came back to the other two.**

"YOU LEFT HIM ON A DOORSTEP?!" screeched Molly and Hermione.  
"He could have got a cold, or got kidnapped." said Molly.  
"It's OK, Molly and Miss Granger, I set up warming and protection charms around Harry to protect him from any harm." said Dumbledore. They huffed but nodded.

**For a full minute the three of them stood and looked at the little bundle; Hagrid's shoulders shook, Professor McGonagall blinked furiously, and the twinkling light that usually shone from Dumbledore's eyes seem to have gone out.**

"NO!" screamed the twins despairingly. "Not the twinkle!" The hall laughed at the twins. Umbridge continued.

**"Well," said Dumbledore finally, "that's that. We've no business staying here. We may as well go and join the celebrations." Yeah," said Hagrid in a very muffled voice, "I'll be takin' Sirius his bike back.**

Snuffles whimpered slightly, he had never gotten his bike back. Harry heard Snuffles whimper and petted his head, then he continued to listen to Umbridge read.

**G'night, Professor McGonagall-Professor Dumbledore, sir." Wiping his streaming eyes on his jacket sleeve, Hagrid swung himself onto the motorcycle and kicked the engine to life; with a roar it rose into the air and off into the night. "I shall see you soon, I expect, Professor McGonagall," said Dumbledore, nodding to her. Professor McGonagall blew her nose is reply.**

"That's not polite, Professor." scolded the twins. The hall laughed as McGonagall glared at them.

**Dumbledore turned and walked back down the street. On the corner he stopped and took out the silver Put-Outer. He clicked it once, and twelve balls of life sped back to their street lamps so that Privet Drive glowed suddenly orange and he could make out a tabby cat slinking around the corner at the other end of the street. He could just see the bundle of blankets on the step of number four. "Good luck, Harry,"**

"I'm gonna need it." said Harry under his breathe. Those who heard him shot him a worried glance and continued listening to Umbridge.

**he murmured He turned on his heel and with a swish of his cloak, he was gone. A breeze ruffled the neat hedges of Privet Drive, which lay silent and tidy under the inky sky, the very last place you would expect astonishing things to happen. Harry Potter rolled over inside his blankets without waking up. One small hand closed on the letter beside him and he slept on, not knowing he was special, not knowing he was famous, not knowing he would be woken in a few hours' time by Mrs. Dursley's scream as she opened the door to put out the milk bottles,**

"What a lovely way to wake up." said Ginny sarcastically.  
"Yeah," agreed Harry just as sarcastically. "It's absolutely amazing."  
People around the hall laughed and Umbridge continued reading.

**nor that he would spend the next few weeks being prodded and pinched by his cousin Dudley...**

"Brat." was muttered throughout the hall.

**He couldn't know that at this very moment, people meeting in secret all over the country were holding up their glasses and saying in hushed voices: "To Harry Potter-the boy who lived!"**

"That's the end of the chapter." said Umbridge, snapping the book shut and setting it on the teachers table.

"Ok, Everybody. We are going to have an hour break for you to eat lunch and relax." As Dumbledore said this, food appeared on the table and everybody digged in.

While they were eating, Harry asked Remus to bring Snuffles and meet him, Hermione, Ron and the twins in the Room of Requirements when they are done eating and told him how to open the door and to think: 'I need somewhere to plan prank ideas' three times. Remus agreed, and Harry, along with the twins, Hermione and Ron, went up to the Room of Requirements to wait for Sirius and Remus.


	3. Room of Requirements

**Chapter Three: The Room of Requirements**

**A/N: I DON'T OWN HARRY POTTER! J.K. ROWLING DOES! NEXT CHAPTER WILL (hopefully) BE UP SOON! READ AND REVIEW!**

Harry was in the Room of Requirements with Ron, Hermione and the twins, to talk about pranking McGonagall. Harry was very nervous about the next chapter, since he was absolutely positive that the book wouldn't be so kind as to skip to when he got on the Hogwarts Express. What was everyone gonna think about him living in a cupboard for almost a decade? About being locked in said cupboard for days to months at a time, with no food? He knew Madam Pomfrey is going to want to see him in the Hospital wing, and he was thinking about going, but he wasn't sure he was ready for people to find out everything he had endured while living with the Dursleys, that he stills endures at the Dursleys every summer.

Harry was lost in thought when Remus and Sirius, still a dog, came in. Sirius transformed, sat next to Harry, and shook him, not risking pouring water on his face after what happened to the twins. Harry jumped and looked around, his eyes finally settling on Sirius. Harry hugged Sirius since this was the first time he had really seen him since he left Grimwald Place.

Sirius laughed slightly and hugged Harry back. "So," inquired Sirius once they were done hugging. "What master-prank-plan do you have up your sleeve for dear Minnie that you need Marauder's assistance with?"

"Well," started Harry, after a moment thinking, "I was thinking we should stun Minnie, or somehow find another way to secretly transport her, and put her in the middle of a maze with a map that will tell her the directions to get out, along with signs so she knows where she is on the map. We will have to put some type of secret monitoring system there to supervise Minnie's progress, along with an anti-apparation ward around the maze and anti-any-type-of-transportation out of the maze before she gets to the end. What do you think?" smirked Harry evilly.

The twins were looking like they were about to break down crying and bowing at Harry, that's how happy they were. Sirius and Remus laughed.

"That sounds just like something James, or even Sirius here, would have come up with." laughed Remus. Harry smiled slightly at being compared to his dad and god-father.

Ron and Hermione looked at each other, chuckling. "Who knew it would be Harry to come up with this?" whispered Ron to Hermione, smirking. "I don't know, Ron, but I sure didn't." replied Hermione, smirking back. They turned back to the others in the room, who where still talking.

"So...When are we going to do this awesome prank on our dear, Professor McGonagall?" inquired the twins.

"After the reading, probably, or we'll do it during the reading to add some humor to it at seeing McGonagall, hopefully, struggle at the maze." replied Harry.

"During the reading." Said the twins once Harry was done talking. Harry smirked, looked and Remus and Sirius who nodded their agreement, and nodded at the twins who jumped in the air and hugged Harry.

"Lets do it in between the first and second books, since I'm sure we'll need a laugh before all the turmoil that happened during my second year is read." said Harry.

"Turmoil?" asked Sirius. "What kind of Turmoil?"

"Not something I feel comfortable about talking about at the moment, so I'll just say you'll find out in the Second Book." replied Harry.

"OK." said Sirius, wondering what in the world had happened to hid god-son in his Second Year at Hogwarts.

"We should probably head back, The hours almost up." said Remus. They all nodded and got up.

"Wait," said Harry, causing everyone to stop and look curiously at him. "I have a warning for the next chapter since I'm pretty sure I know some stuff that will more-than-likely be in it."

"Like what?" asked Hermione curiously.

"Let's just say, I don't have the best home life with the Dursleys." said Harry. They all looked at Harry, wondering what in the name of Merlin's socks happens at the Dursleys that Harry had to warn them about, however vague the warning was.

They all left the ROR and headed down to the Great Hall. Once they got there they saw that almost everyone was back. After a few minutes, in which the rest of the people arrived, Dumbledore stood up and said, "Now that everyone is back in the Great Hall, we shall start the next chapter. Who would like to read?" Harry raised his hand, knowing that he should get his turn out of the way since he knew this was going to be a hard chapter for people to hear. Dumbledore levitated the book to Harry. When Harry got the book, he opened to the correct page and read,

**Chapter Two, The Vanishing Glass**


	4. The Vanishing Glass: Part One

**Disclaimer: I DON'T OWN HARRY POTTER! J.K. ROWLING DOES!**

**A/N: Read and Review! Warning: Abuse Mentioned a lot on this chapter.**

**Chapter Four: The Vanishing Glass: Part 1**

_Previous Chapter: When Harry got the book, he opened to the correct page and read, 'Chapter Two, The Vanishing Glass'_

**'Chapter Two, The Vanishing Glass'**

"Are we going to hear about some accidental magic in this chapter?" asked Fred mischievously. Harry nodded, and people started wondering what accidental magic Harry did when he was a kid.

**Nearly ten years had passed since the Dursleys had woken up to find their nephew on the front step, but Privet Drive had hardly changed at all.**

"It hasn't changed?" asked the twins, horrified.  
"No, It hardly changes at all." replied Harry.  
"What?" The twins asked again, "Our house literally changes every second, we make sure of that, even when we're not there."  
"Well, thankfully, you're not the Dursleys. They hate change and anything...abnormal, as they tend to put it." said Harry. People looked curiously at Harry. Before anyone could ask about the 'abnormal' comment, he continued reading.

**The sun rose on the same tidy front gardens and lit up the brass number four on the Dursleys' front door; it crept into their living room, which was almost exactly the same as it had been on the night Mr. Dursley had seen that fateful news report about the owls.**

"How is a news report about owls 'fateful'?" asked Hermione.  
"How am I supposed to know? I, personally, try not to figure out what goes on in their minds." replied Harry. He kept reading when Hermione didn't make any movements to talk again.

**Only the photographs on the mantel-piece really showed how much time had passed. Ten years ago, there had been lots of pictures of what looked like a large pink beach ball wearing different-colored bonnets-**

"Who would have pink beach balls wearing bonnets in pictures in their living room?" asked George. In reply Harry continued reading.

**but Dudley Dursley was no longer a baby,**

The Hall laughed. "How can a baby boy look like a beach ball?" laughed out the twins.  
"One that always eats." replied Harry, chuckling slightly to try and hide the fact that he was slowly paling, he found where they said where he slept. This caused more laughter, but the twins quit laughing as hard, noticing Harry's slowly paling form. They looked at each other and sa closer to Harry and Fred whispered in Harry's ear, "What's wrong, Harry?"  
Harry jumped slightly and looked at the twins on both sides of him. "Nothings wrong." said Harry.  
"Forge, you know what?" asked Gred.  
"No, my dear Gred, I'm afraid I don't." replied Forge.  
"I think that I found young Harry here's catch frases. 'I'm fine' and 'Nothings wrong', even though every time he says it it's a lie." Said Gred.  
"Why, yes, Gred, I think your right." Replied Forge.  
"So, Harry what's wrong?" they asked together, quietly. In reply, Harry, who didn't want to say anything, pinted to the paaragraph that caused him to pale, and showed the twins. The twins slowly read the paragraph, and once they read the last sentence, they were beyond any form of angry they could name.  
"They made you sleep in a CUPBOARD!" whisper-screamed the twins furiously.  
"Yes, and be quiet." said Harry, dragging the twins back to their corner and setting up silencing charms again.  
"Harry?" asked George sadly. "Why didn't you tell us? Or even Ron and Hermione?"  
"It never came up." Said Harry. "And anyways, I don't sleep there anymore. I haven't since I got my first Hogwarts letter."  
"Harry, Just because you don't sleep there anymore, doesn't mean it's in-important." Said Fred furiously.  
"I know that, but lets just go back to our seats and We'll continue this talk later." Said Harry. The twins nodded. They undid the silencing charms and went back to their seats, the twins silently raging their plans for the Dursleys for doing that to their little brother, since they consider Harry their younger brother.  
Harry sat down, getting curious looks from people around the hall, and continued reading.  
and now the photographs showed a large blond boy riding his first bicycle, on a carousel at the fair, playing computer games with his father, and being hugged and kissed by his mother.  
Some people, who had no clue what-so-ever about Harry's home life groaned, not wanting to hear that happen to Harry also.

**The room held no sign at all that another boy lived in the house, too.**

The people who groaned, along with other people in the hall, looked curiously at Harry.  
"Don't you still live there?" asked Remus.  
"Yeah." said Harry.  
"Then, why aren't there any pictures of you?" asked Remus.  
"I don't like having my picture taken?" Harry said, more as a question as anything. Nobody looked like they believed him, so before they could further question him on it, he continued.

**Yet Harry Potter was still there, asleep at the moment, but not for long. his Aunt Petunia was awake and it was her shrill voice that made the first noise of the day.**

Snape shuddered slightly, remembering all too well her shrill voice.  
"Sounded just like a banshee, she did." Said Harry. People chuckled.

**"Up! Get Up! Now!" Harry woke with a start. His aunt rapped on the door again. "Up!" she screeched. Harry heard her walking toward the kitchen and then the sound of the frying pan being put on the stove.**

"Wow, Harry, your room must be really close to the kitchen to be able to hear that." said Neville.  
"Yeah," said Harry, silently adding, 'If you can count a cupboard as a room.'

**He rolled onto his back and tried to remember the dream he had been having. It had been a good one. There had been a flying motorcycle in it.**

"That wasn't a dream, young Harrikins, It was a memory." Said the twins, jokingly.  
"Yeah, I know that _now_, I didn't know that _then_." said Harry, putting emphasis on 'now' and 'then'. A few people chuckled, but the adults, minus the obvious, were wondering how Harry had such a good memory, but struggled a lot in class.

**He had a funny feeling he'd had the same dream before. His aunt was back outside the door. "Are you up yet?" she demanded. "Nearly," said Harry. "Well, get a move on, I want you to look after the bacon. And don't you dare let it burn, I want everything perfect on Duddy's birthday."**

A few people chuckled at Dudley's nickname. "Thay made you cook?" asked Sirius, furiously.  
"Yeah. So?" asked Harry, wondering what the big deal was, it was just cooking.  
"For how long?" asked Sirius.  
"Umm," Harry started, trying to think, "since I was about 3 or 4, I think."  
People looked at Harry weirdly, 'What kind of people would make a 3 year old cook?' was going through a lot of peoples minds.  
"How did you reach the stove?" asked Remus. "Didn't you burn yourself?"  
"I used a stool until I was tall enough to see over it, and Yeah I burned myself a few times, nothing too serious." assured Harry, not mentioning when his Aunt forced him to touch the hot stove on more then one occasion for burning food. Nobody was altogether assured, but before anyone else could ask him anything, Harry continued.

**Harry groaned. "What did you say?" his aunt snapped through the door.**

"He didn't say anything, you horse." snapped Luna. People were surprised at Luna's sudden outburst, almost forgetting she was there. Harry smiled gratefully at Luna, glad they were friends now, and continued.

**"Nothing, nothing..." Dudley's birthday-**  
The twins scooted closer to Harry, remembering the beginning of the paragraph. Harry smiled gratefully at them and continued. Ron and Hermione looked at each other, each wondering the same thing. 'What do the twins know that we don't?' they scooted as close to Harry as they could, and listened to him reading, not knowing what was coming up at the end of the paragraph.

**how could he have forgotten? Harry got slowly out of bed and started to look for socks. He found a pair under his bed and, after pulling a spider off one of them,**

Ron shuddered at 'spider' and glared at the twins. They smiled sheepishly at Ron and Fred mouthed 'Sorry Ron.' Ron was slightly surprised at his brother finally apologizing to him and mouthed back, 'I forgive you.' Fred smiled gratefully at his little brother, glad he was forgiven for what he did when they were kids.

**Harry was used to spiders,**

"Harry, How can you be used to spider?" asked Ron, horrified. In response., Harry just continues reading, now officially as pale as a ghost, maybe more so, and more people besides the twins really started to notice.

**because the cupboard under the stairs was full of them,**

"How is that relevant?" asked Hermione. Again, Harry responded by continuing reading.

**and that was where he slept.**

The shocked silence, to Harry, was way worse than any yelling that could be going on. Hermione looked at Harry with tears in her eyes. "How come you never told us, Harry?" asked Hermione despairingly.

"It never came up." was all Harry got out before everyone else, even the Slytherins, but minus the obvious, started yelling. Harry was being engulfed in a group-hug by the Weasleys, Hermione, Remus and Sirius along with a million questions.

McGonagall had it up to here, and exploded, yelling at Dumbledore. "DUMBLEDORE! NOW, DO YOU REALIZE WHY WE SHOULD HAVE F***ING CHECKED ON HIM?!" screeched McGonagall. Those who heard, which was the whole hall, stopped what they were doing to listen because McGonagall never cussed, never. "HE HAS LIVED IN A F***ING CUPBOARD FOR ALMOST A F***ING DECADE! MARK MY WORDS, DUMBLEDORE, HE IS NEVER, AND I MEAN NEVER, GOING BACK TO THE DURSLEY'S CARE AGAIN!"

"I understand where your coming from, my dear professor, I will attempt to try to find a suitable home home for Harry." said Dumbledore.

"Dumbledore," said Snape, venomously not caring that the whole student body plus some were listening to this conversation. "I've told you before, and I'll tell you again, the Dursleys hate magic, and no matter what you think about..about.._family_...They would never treat Harry like a son. He has been abused," Harry tried to protest, but Snape silenced him with a glare and continued his rant. "No matter what Harry says, and I'm sure he was abused physically too. Why I never saw it before now, coming from a childhood like mine, is because I was stuck on a childhood grudge against his father, and according to what I've heard you say, he lived in a loving home." Harry snorted, but was slightly confused. 'Since when did Snape care about my home life let alone me?' he wondered. "If I find out that he is ever again forced to go to that house, I will personally go and get him out of that house, hex those muggles and whoever sent him there." Snape finished rant, huffed and sat down, glaring at the headmaster. People were beyond confused, 'Since when did Snape care about Harry?' was gong through all of their minds.

"Thanks, I guess, Professor Snape." said Harry. Snape just nodded, not breaking his angry gaze on the headmaster.

'I guess I really messed up, didn't I?' thought Dumbledore, sadly.

"Harry," started Dumbledore, catching people attention. "I will do everything in my power to get you to a safe home where death eaters and Voldemort can't reach you and you won't be abused in any way." Harry nodded thankfully. "Now, I think we should take another break to let all this information sink in and continue this chapter later." Everyone nodded and Madam Pomfrey got up and walked over to Harry.

Harry saw Madam Pomfrey walking over here and couldn't decide whether or not he should run. The twins decided for him and grabbed both of his shoulders and steered him to meet Madam Pomfrey halfway. Madam Pomfrey looked sadly at Harry and steered him to the Hospital Wing, followed by the twins, Ron, Hermione, , , Remus and Sirius (as Snuffles). Madam Pomfrey told Harry to sit on his bed, which she now had his name over from how many times he'd been there, and turned to every one who followed her and Harry.

"I don't know if you two," she started, pointing at Ron and Hermione. "should be here for this."

"But we are his best friends and if we can't stay, then what about the twins?" said Ron.

"The twins may still be students, but they're of age so I can't force them to leave. As for you and Miss Granger, It is up to you, , to decide if you think they will be mature enough to know what may have happened to Harry." said Madam Pomfrey.

Mrs. Weasley observed Ron and Hermione, and finally said, "I think they are mature enough," Ron and Hermione looked gratefully at her. "Considering all they've been through."

Madam Pomfrey nodded, and said, surprising all of them, "Sirius, I know that's you, so transform into a human so I can give you a hug, I haven't seen you in years and have been thanking Merlin ever since I found out you were innocent."

Sirius transformed to a human, and Madam Pomfrey, true to her word, gave him a bone-crushing hug. "Ok. Nice to see you too, Poppy." Sirius said, laughing slightly.

Poppy finally let him go, and went over to Harry, who was sitting nervously on his bed. "No need to be nervous, Honey." Said Poppy soothingly. "Lie down and I'll start the scan." Harry nodded, and lied down. Poppy went into her office to grab something. "Ok," she said when got back, holding a vile in her hand. "Take this." she said, handing Harry the vial. Harry looked uncertainly at it. "Don't Worry," assured Poppy, seeing his uncertainty, "It's a dreamless sleep potion." Harry nodded, took the potion, and fell asleep.

Poppy took out her wand, a piece of parchment and a quill. The parchment floated in the air, the quill poised at the top. She scanned her wand over Harry's lifeless form, and the parchment slowly got longer, and once she was done it was a bout 2 feet long. Poppy read it over and got angrier the more she read. "How can anyone do this to a child?" she asked furiously, handing the parchment to Sirius, who read it with Remus reading over his shoulder. Once they were done, they were too angry for words and just handed it to Ron and Hermione. When they finished reading, Hermione had half sad, had angry tears in her eyes and Ron was furious. "How can those..._things_...do this to Harry?" asked Ron.

When nobody answered him, he handed the parchment to the twins, who started reading it at once. Once they got to the bottom, they were slowly planning a perfectly legal, perfectly painful plan for the Dursleys. They handed the parchment to their parents who read it and slowly got madder after every thing they read. They furiously handed it back to Poppy, silently planning to talk to the Headmaster about this.

Here's what it said:

**Injury Report For Harry Potter: Non-Magical Injuries:**

'Cranium (head): 7 past concussions, 1 concussion partially healed. Cause: Multiple hits to the head with frying pan, twice from being pushed down stairs, and once, the most recent one, was caused by being pushed head-first onto concrete driveway.

Partial eye fracture in both eyes. Cause: Being punched in both eyes multiple times and chemicals sprayed in eyes on several occasions, reason his glasses are needed.

Chest and Back: 6 past broken ribs, two ribs healing now. Cause: being continually punched and kicked in stomach, pushed out of tree, and pushed down the stairs, the most recent broken ribs were caused by being hit with a car.

Burns and Scars along chest and back. Cause: Being hit by belt and Burned by stove and metal, One scar on back is in the shape of the word 'Freak'

Fractured spinal cord. Cause: getting hit by a car, not serious enough to effect him at the moment, but may cause difficulties in the future if not treated.

Arms: Each arm broken, Right: 6 times Left: 8 times. Cause: Pushed out of tree, stepped on once, Hit with hammer and broken, pushed down stairs, And partially healed right arm broken by being hit by car.  
Sprained wrist. Right: 3 time Left: 3 times. Cause: being pushed out of tree, pushed down stairs, and sprained left hand from being hit by a car.

Hands: Burned nerves, and third-sixth degree burns. Cause: Being forced to touch a stove by someone.

Legs: Each Broken more than once. Right: 4 times. Left: 5 times. Cause: Pushed out of tree, pushed down stairs and partially healed broken left leg caused by being hit by a car.

Sprained ankle. Left: 2 times. Right: 4 times. Cause: Pushed out of tree, Pushed down stairs, and sprained right ankle from being hit by a car.

Other: Malnutrition. Cause: Continued Starvation.'

When Harry woke up the next morning, he couldn't see. He reached over to the bedside table and grabbed his glasses. He put them on and everything came into focus. The first thing he noticed was the twins sleeping on the chairs next to his bed. Harry sat up and looked around more. Nobody was around, that he could see, besides him and the twins. He was nervous to what everyone would think of what he was positive was on that list. 'What would everyone say about his Uncle Vernon hitting him with his car this summer? And about his 'Freak' scar on his back?' was where Harry's train of thought was when the twins woke up, saw that Harry was awake, and tackle-hugged him.

Harry jumped slightly, then he noticed it was just the twins hugging him. He smiled slightly and hugged them back. "So," started Harry. The twins looked up at Harry, not getting off him. "I guess you have questions."

"Yeah," Said George.

"Who branded 'Freak' on your back?" asked Fred.

"And, Who Hit you with a car?" asked George.

"My Uncle Vernon." was all Harry said. The twins look horrified.

"And everything else that happened?" they asked Harry together.

"The burns were pretty much all by my Aunt Petunia, but she mostly just burned my hands on the stove and hit me with the frying pan." Said Harry. The twins looked horrified, but before they could interrupt Harry continued. "My Uncle Vernon was the main person to inflict harm on me, but my cousin Dudley and his friends chased me a lot and beat me up if they caught me. Since they couldn't often find and/or catch me, they came up with the game 'Harry Hunting' which consists of looking for me and if they find me they do multiple things to me when they beat me up. My Aunt, Uncle, Cousin and Cousin's Friends' goal was to make my life a living hell." Harry finished, glad that what felt like a huge weight, was finally off his shoulders.

"Harry," Started the twins.

"Don't." Said Harry. "Don't Apologize to me for not seeing it. I didn't tell anyone and it's my fault for not telling anyone. What they did to me is, hopefully, all in the past and is never going to happen to me again in the future. " Harry finished by hugging the twins, and they hugged back.

"Ron and Hermione wanted to stay in here, but since they're not of age yet, weren't allowed." Fred told Harry, so he knew why it was Fred and George here and not Ron and Hermione. Harry nodded and Madam Pomfrey came in.

"Off the bed, Mr. Weasley and ." said Poppy. The twins slowly got out of the bed and sat down in their chairs. Poppy quickly looked over Harry, and said, "Well, I think you and the twins can all go down to the Great Hall for breakfast and to finish the chapter." They all nodded, got up and left the Hospital Wing.

When they got to the Great Hall, Everyone stopped talking, then started talking again. Harry and the twins ignored them and went to their normal seat at the Gryffindor Table. After they sat down, Dumbledore stood up and everyone went quiet again and looked up at him.

"I know we all found out something..._unexpected_ yesterday afternoon, and, if Harry wishes to, we will continue reading after everyone is here and has eaten breakfast." Said Dumbledore. Harry looked up at him and nodded, silently saying he'll continue to read. Dumbledore saw Harry nod, nodded back and sat down. Everyone went back to their eating and talking, waiting for when everyone was here and had eaten so they could continue.


	5. The Vanishing Glass: Part Two

**Chapter Five: The Vanishing Glass: Part 2**

**Disclaimer: I DON'T OWN HARRY POTTER! J.K. ROWLING DOES!**

**A/N: Just finished. Please Let Me Know Of Any Of My Mistakes! It Will Be Really Helpful In My Writing Future Stories! Enjoy! Read and Review!**

While everybody was waiting for the rest of the people to finish eating, Harry looked at the Slytherin table and caught someones grey eyes.

Draco was staring intently at Harry, regretting bullying Harry during school. He was upset that he bullied Harry without getting to know him in the slightest and, thinking back on it, he was kinda mean and rude when he first met Harry. Harry got bullied and abused at home, and Draco bullied him here. Harry just never got a break. He was startled out of his thoughts on Harry, when Harry himself, caught his eye. He smiled slightly and Harry smiled hesitantly back. Draco continued to look intently at Harry and motioned for Harry to come over and talk to him at the corner where Harry talked to the twins.

To say Harry was surprised at Draco's friendliness would be and understatement. Yes, they have been getting on better terms lately, but he never thought Draco would be staring at him, and smiling at him and asking to talk to him privately. Even though this went through Harry's mind, He nodded to Draco, told his friends he will be right back, and got up and went to the corner to meet Draco.

Draco saw Harry nod, and he excused himself from his friends and walked over to the corner where he had seen Harry and the twins talking earlier to wait for Harry. A few seconds later, Harry showed up. They set up privacy charms so nobody could eavesdrop since they knew pretty much the whole hall was looking toward them.

"Harry," started Draco.

"No, Draco. Don't Apologize to me for anything." said Harry. "I forgive you, and if you don't believe me, then I'll prove it to you by accepting something long over due." Harry finished by putting out his hand, which Draco hesitantly shook.

"So," started Draco. "Are we friends now? Or where you talking about something else I asked you about that slipped my mind?" Draco was smirking by the end of it.

Harry chuckled. "Yes, yes, If you still want to be friends with me, then we're friends." Draco smiled, and hesitantly hugged his new 'friend', and Harry hugged him hesitantly back, glad to finally have accepted something he had started to regret the second he said no.

"It sure is weird to consider you, Harry, The-Boy-Who-Lived, My past archenemy, a Friend." Said Draco, chuckling, letting go of Harry and stepping slightly back. Harry chuckled and nodded his agreement.  
"Well, let's go sit back down and continue the reading before more rumors are started about us." Harry said. Draco nodded in agreement. The took down the privacy charms, nodded politely to each other, and went to their separate tables and sat by their friends.

"What was that about?" asked Ron when Harry sat down, glancing at Draco across the Hall.

"Nothing." Said Harry, sharing a look with the twins, who read Harry's look and knew that Harry and Draco were now friends. Hermione noticed it too, and smiled slightly. The twins looked over at Draco who was staring at the Gryffindor table. Draco locked eyes with the twins, and the twins could tell Draco genuinely wanted to be Harry's friend, and they nodded their approval. Draco smiled gratefully at them, glad that two people were fine with him and Harry's friendship. Hermione also caught his eye, after thinking it over, and nodded her head in approval. Draco smiled gratefully at her, also. 'Three down,' he thought. 'Who knows how many more to go.' he chuckled softly under his breath at the end of his thought, but Dumbledore caught his attention by standing up.

"Attention, Everyone," He started. "Since everyone is here and everyone has eaten, I think now would be a good time to continue the chapter."Dumbledore looked over at Harry, who nodded. Dumbledore levitated the book to Harry. "Also, I would like to introduce our newest addition, Madam Bones" Dumbledore gestured to Madam Bones who was sitting next to her niece at the Hufflepuff table across from Tonks, who waved to everyone.

Harry got the book, opened to the correct page, and continued reading from where he left off yesterday.

**When he was dressed he went down the hall into the kitchen. The table was almost hidden beneath all Dudley's birthday presents. It looked as though Dudley had gotten the new computer he wanted, not to mention the second television and a racing bike.**

"Spoiled Brat." was muttered under people's breathe. Most Purebloods looked confused and added those things to their slowly growing list of Muggle items.

**Exactly why Dudley wanted a racing bike was a mystery to Harry, as Dudley was very fat and hated exercise-**

People chuckled here.

**unless of course it involved punching somebody.**

"That better not be you, Harry." was growled under a few people's breathe. Even Draco looked furious at the thought of Harry getting beat up by his Muggle cousin.

**Dudley's favorite punching bag was Harry,**

Growls could be heard throughout the hall, the most prominent was those of Remus and Snuffles, being a dog and a werewolf. Even, surprising most, some of the Slytherins growled, including Draco and Snape. After a moment, Harry continued.

**but he couldn't often catch him. Harry didn't look it, but he was very fast. **

'No kidding.' Thought Ron, Hermione, Draco and the twins. They had all seen Harry run more than once, and none of them could keep up with him. Ron and Hermione had even tried practicing running, but they knew they'd never be able to keep up with Harry. A thought that had passed through each of their minds at least once when they saw him run, was: 'I wonder if he could keep up with something as fast as a werewolf or unicorn?'

**Perhaps it had something to do with living in a dark cupboard,**

Growls were heard at the mention of the cupboard.

**but Harry had always been small and skinny for his age.**

The adults observed how small and skinny Harry was compared to the other kids hos age that were sitting around him. Both James and Lily were bigger than that in their 5th year. They swore they were going to help Harry get to what would be his normal size at his age.

**He looked even smaller and skinnier than he really was because all he had to wear were old clothes of Dudley's, and Dudley was about four times bigger than he was.**

Students and teachers alike were all thinking back to when ever they saw Harry on the weekends or after school he normally wore his school robes or some of his clothes that were a lot bigger than he was. Several uncomfortable moments later, Harry continued.

**Harry had a thin face, knobbly knees, black hair, and bright green eyes. He wore round glasses held together with a lot of Scotch tape because of all the times Dudley had punched him on the nose.**

People growled again.

**The only thing Harry liked about his own appearance was a very thin scar on his forehead that was shaped like a bolt of lightning.**

"You liked it?" asked the twins incredulously.  
"I didn't know what it meant and it was all I had that connected me to my parents." Harry responded. People looked sadly at Harry, but Harry ignored them and continued.

**He had had it as long as he could remember, an the first question he could ever remember asking his Aunt Petunia was how he had gotten it. "In the car crash when your parents died," she had said.**

"A CAR CRASH!" screamed McGonagall in outrage. "THEY TOLD YOU THEY DIED IN A CAR CRASH!"  
"Yeah," said Harry slowly, not mentioning that they said they were drunks, too, seeing how angry everyone, but mostly Minnie was, you could barely see Minnie's lips. Before McGonagall could continue her rant, Harry continued.

**"And don't ask questions."**

"You weren't allowed to ask question!?" asked Ravenclaws and Hermione, horrified.  
"No, I wasn't." replied Harry. This response caused the professors to think back on classes with Harry. Harry never asked questions in class, and you can tell by his homework he barely understands it. They all vowed to help Harry perform to his full potential in class. Harry continued, pretty sure by the looks on the Professor's faces that he was going to be getting helped in his classes, which he was sure would benefit to him a lot, maybe even to the professors also.

**Don't ask questions-that was the first rule for a quiet life with the Dursleys. Uncle Vernon entered the kitchen as Harry was turning over the bacon. "Comb you hair!" he barked, by way of morning greeting.**

Harry saw the mischievous glint in the twins eyes, and said, "No, Fred, George, You can not use that to greet me in the morning." The twins looked crestfallen and the hall laughed. Harry smirked and continued.

**About once a week, Uncle Vernon looked over the top of his newspaper and shouted that Harry needed a haircut. Harry must have had more haircuts than the rest of the boys in his class put together, but it made no difference, his hair simply grew that way-all over the place.**

"Ahh," started Remus to Harry, chuckling. "What James and Sirius liked to call the infamous 'Potter Curse'." Harry smiled and chuckled.

**Harry was frying eggs by the time Dudley arrived in the kitchen with his mother. Dudley looked a lot like Uncle Vernon. He had a large pink face, not much neck, small, watery blue eyes, and thick blond hair that lay smoothly on his thick, fat head. Aunt Petunia often said that Dudley looked like a baby angel-**

'More like a pig in a wig to me.' thought Draco, smirking.

**Harry often said that Dudley looked like a pig in a wig.**

Draco's eyes widened as he realized he thought the same thing as Harry. Harry glanced at him and noticed Draco's large eyes. 'Let me guess,' mouthed Harry to Draco, when Harry finally caught his eye. 'You thought the same thing?' Draco blushed and nodded. Harry smirked and, before anyone could ask about it, he continued.

**Harry put the plates of egg and bacon on the table, which was difficult as there wasn't much room. Dudley, meanwhile, was counting his presents. His face fell.**

"What?" mumbled the twins. "Only got 37 presents?" Harry heard and had to stifle a laugh.

**"Thirty-six," he said, looking up at his mother and father.**

The twins were shocked, and even more shocked when Harry whispered to them, "Just wait a moment and You'll see how correct your guess was." The twins looked doe-eyed at Harry.

"Thirty-six?" asked Draco incredulously. "Even I don't get that many, and that spoilt brat doesn't deserve or appreciate his gifts." People were surprised at Draco's mini-speech, but Harry smiled proudly at his new friend before continuing.

**"That's two less than last year." "Darling, you haven't counted Auntie Marge's present, see, it's here under this big one from Mommy and Daddy." "All right, thirty-seven then," said Dudley, going red in the face.**

The twins spluttered at guessing correctly and Harry laughed at them. Before anyone could question what just happened, Harry continued, still chuckling slightly.

**Harry, who could see a huge Dudley tantrum coming on, began wolfing down his bacon as fast as possible in case Dudley turned the table over.**

"Did that happen a lot?" inquired Draco from across the hall.  
Harry chuckled and answered saying, "Yeah, and the funniest time was when he did it at school in the cafeteria, ignoring the fact that I was blamed for it." A few people chuckled as well, but hey were all thinking about how unfair that was. Harry, still chuckling, continued.

**Aunt Petunia obviously scented danger, too, because she said quickly, "And we'll buy you another two presents while we're out today. How's that, popkin? Two more presents. Is that all right?" Dudley thought for a moment. It looked like hard work. Finally he said slowly, "So I'll have thirty...thirty..."**

"Oh, Merlin, That kid can't even count!" someone said in exasperation.  
"How old is he in this part of the story?" someone asked.  
"It's his 11th birthday." Harry said chuckling. Everyone looked shocked that an eleven year old, an eleven year old couldn't even add two to thirty-seven. Harry continued.

**"Thirty-nine, sweetums," said Aunt Petunia. "Oh." Dudley sat down heavily and grabbed the nearest parcel. "All right then." Uncle Vernon chuckled. "Little tyke wants his money's worth, just like his father. 'Atta boy, Dudley!" He ruffled Dudley's hair.**

'How can he approve af that behavior?' was going through multiple adults minds.

**At that moment the telephone rang and Aunt Petunia went to answer it while Harry and Uncle Vernon watched Dudley unwrap the racing bike, a video camera, a remote control airplane, sixteen new computer games, and a VCR.**

You could hear the scratching of quills on parchment throughout the hall as they wrote down the most recently mentioned Muggle items.

**He was ripping the paper off a gold wristwatch when Aunt Petunia came back from the telephone looking both angry and worried. "Bad news, Vernon," she said. "Mrs. Figg's broken her leg. She can't take him." she jerked her head in Harry's direction.**

"The 'him' your referring to has a name! It's Harry! So use it!" Luna yelled angrily, causing people to stare at her, almost forgetting she was there. "referring to people by names that aren't theirs and are you used as insults is bullying and it's not nice, especially when they're in the same room and can hear you!" she finished half-angry half-sad. Harry smiled sadly at her and she smiled back as Neville got up and walked over to Luna at the Ravenclaw and gave her a soft hug, Luna smiled wider and hugged him back.  
Why Neville got up and hugged the Ravenclaw was because of a certain fondness that had formed for the blond and he didn't want her sad or angry. Harry smiled fondly at them, glad that both Neville and Luna both found someone they could be together with in the future, whether they realized it or not. Once Neville got back to Gryffindor table with Luna following behind him and they sat down, Harry continued.

**Dudley's mouth fell open in horror, but Harry's heart gave a leap. Every year on Dudley's birthday, his parents to him and a friend out for the day, to adventure parks, hamburger restaurants, or the movies. Every year, Harry was left behind with Mrs. Figg, a mad old lady who lived two streets away. Harry hated it there. The whole house smelled of cabbage and Mrs. Figg made him look at photographs of all the cats she'd ever owned. "Now what?" said Aunt Petunia, looking furiously at Harry as though he'd planned this.**

"Oh, yes," said Harry, mysteriously, interrupting himself. "It's my life's mission to kill Voldemort and, of course, ruin your life." People laughed and Harry continued, chuckling slightly.

**Harry knew he ought to feel sorry that Mrs. Figg had broken her leg, but it wasn't easy when he reminded himself it would be a whole year before he had to look at Tibbles, Snowy, Mr. Paws, and Tufty again.**

'At least he knew he should be sorry for Mrs. Figg, but he has a valid reason for not being that sorry.' thought Mrs. Weasley.

**"We could phone Marge," Uncle Vernon suggested. "Don't be silly, Vernon, she hates the boy."**

"Feelings mutual." muttered Harry, thinking of her last visit and her devil dogs.

**The Dursleys often spoke about Harry like this, as though he wasn't there-or rather, as though he was something very nasty that couldn't understand them, like a slug. **

Remus stifled a chuckle, even Snuffles looked amused. People glanced curiously at them. Seeing their curious glances, Remus elaborated, "James had an irrational fear of slugs." people laughed, even Snape's mouth quirked slightly. "The reason, you may ask, is a prank gone terribly wrong. I won't go into it more now so we can continue the book." The twins, Harry, and, surprisingly Draco, all looked intently at Remus and each had a look that said plainly, 'You'll be telling that story to us later.' Remus chuckled and nodded to all of them, even Draco, once he noticed his look, because he had seen that Draco and Harry were friends now.

**"What about what's-her-name, your friend — Yvonne?" "On vacation in Majorca," snapped Aunt Petunia. "You could just leave me here," Harry put in hopefully (he'd be able to watch what he wanted on television for a change and maybe even have a go on Dudley's computer).**

"Sorry Harry, that won't work." said the twins sadly.  
"I knew it was fruitless, but it was worth a try, wasn't it?" responded Harry. They nodded and Harry continued.

**Aunt Petunia looked as though she'd just swallowed a lemon. "And come back and find the house in ruins?" she snarled. "I won't blow up the house," said Harry, but they weren't listening. "I suppose we could take him to the zoo," said Aunt Petunia slowly, ". . . and leave him in the car. . . ."**

"He's not a dog!" snapped Luna furiously. Snuffles barked, offended. Luna looked startled at him. "Oh, sorry Snuffles." she said apologetically, walking over to him and petting his head. "I didn't mean it like that, it's just that Harry isn't something you can just lock in a car, or anything for that matter, he's a human being, and he, along with everyone and everything else, deserves to be treated equally." she finished this hugging Snuffles, who licked her face causing her to giggle. Neville smiled at her, 'She really is something.' he thought.  
"Thanks, Luna." said Harry gratefully, sending a quick glare to anyone who had ever bullied her, Neville joined in once he realized what Harry was doing. Harry got down and hugged Luna, she hugged him back. They let go of each other and went to their respective seats and Harry continued, smiling slightly at the sight of Luna with her head on Neville's shoulder.

**"That car's new, he's not sitting in it alone. . . ."**

"Oh, right, the car's more important than your own flesh and blood." spat Luna furiously. People were surprised at this outburst, it was just so...Un-Luna. Neville rubbed soothing circles on Luna's shoulders, trying to calm her down. Luna sighed and leaned on Neville. 'These reading are breaking me out of my shell.' thought Luna. 'I'm not sure if that's a good thing or a bad thing, but at least one or two good things will come out of this.' she thought looking at her long-time crush Neville, and all the people she's growing more attached to, especially Harry.

**Dudley began to cry loudly. In fact, he wasn't really crying — it had been years since he'd really cried — but he knew that if he screwed up his face and wailed, his mother would give him anything he wanted.**

'Spoiled Brat.' was going through many people's minds.

**"Dinky Duddydums,**

Everyone laughed at this, and Harry, the twins and Luna ended up on the floor laughing at this ridiculous nickname. Once they finally settled down, they sat back down. Before Luna sat down, she went over to Remus, and said, "Now, you have to tell the story to Harry, Fred, George, Draco and me." she said smiling. Remus nodded, chuckling. Luna's friends sighed breaths of relief, Luna wasn't that angry anymore.

**don't cry, Mummy won't let him spoil your special day!" she cried, flinging her arms around him. . . don't . . . want . . . him . . . t-t-to come!" Dudley yelled between huge, pretend sobs. "He always sp-spoils everything!" He shot Harry a nasty grin through the gap in his mother's arms. Just then, the doorbell rang —" Oh, good Lord, they're here!" said Aunt Petunia frantically — and a moment later, Dudley's best friend, Piers Polkiss, walked in with his mother. Piers was a scrawny boy with a face like a rat. He was usually the one who held people's arms behind their backs while Dudley hit them.**

"Of course, you, Harry, would know that." said Hermione, exasperatedly. Harry chuckled and answered,  
"Why wouldn't I, 'Mione? Haven't you learned from how far we've read who the prime target of Dudley's gang is?" Hermione, along with several others, looked at Harry, slightly shocked that he talked about him being bullied like it didn't matter. When Hermione didn't respond, Harry continued.

**Dudley stopped pretending to cry at once. Half an hour later, Harry, who couldn't believe his luck, was sitting in the back of the Dursleys' car with Piers and Dudley, on the way to the zoo for the first time in his life.**

'That's sad. The first time you go to a zoo should be when your, like three or four, not ten.' thought some people. Remus and Sirius felt slightly guilty for what Harry had to go through because of them not getting him and Pettigrew. Harry noticed their guilty faces and glared at them, ans whispered, "Don't you _dare _feel guilty Remus and Sirius." They nodded and Harry continued reading.

**His aunt and uncle hadn't been able to think of anything else to do with him, but before they'd left, Uncle Vernon had taken Harry aside.**

'You better not touch him.' thought Luna venomously.

**"I'm warning you," he had said, putting his large purple face right up close to Harry's, "I'm warning you now, boy**

"He has a name." muttered Luna furiously. Neville continued rubbing her shoulders to calm her down.

**— any funny business, anything at all — and you'll be in that cupboard from now until Christmas."**

"He better not have!" Said Luna furiously. Harry was quick to reassure her.  
"No, Luna, he didn't. I was here for Christmas." Luna nodded and slumped against Neville, motioning for Harry to continue. Harry was quick to oblige.

**"I'm not going to do anything," said Harry, "honestly . . ." But Uncle Vernon didn't believe him. No one ever did. The problem was, strange things often happened around Harry and it was just no good telling the Dursleys he didn't make them happen. Once, Aunt Petunia, tired of Harry coming back from the barbers looking as though he hadn't been at all, had taken a pair of kitchen scissors and cut his hair so short he was almost bald except for his bangs, which she left "to hide that horrible scar." Dudley had laughed himself silly at Harry, who spent a sleepless night imagining school the next day, where he was already laughed at for his baggy clothes and taped glasses.**

'Poor Harry.' thought some. This made Draco feel even more guilty for bullying Harry. Harry caught sight if Draco's face, and shook his head, saying without words, 'Don't feel guilty, we're friends now, it's in the past. Don't beat yourself up about the past, Draco.' Draco nodded and willed his guilt to disappear.

**Next morning, however, he had gotten up to find his hair exactly as it had been before Aunt Petunia had sheared it off.**

"Hey, Tonks," started Remus. Tonks turned towards Remus when she heard her name and inclined her head towards him so he would know that she was listening. "Do you think Harry might be a part Metamorphagus?" Tonks had a thoughtful expression, after a minute or two she answered.  
"Maybe. I'll test him after this chapter. I'll test Draco, too, since he's related to a Black, also." Draco was surprised at being addressed, but nodded, agreeing that that would be fun.  
Harry and Draco smiled at each other, than Harry went back to the book.

**He had been given a week in his cupboard for this, even though he had tried to explain that he couldn't explain how it had grown back so quickly.**

People growled at that.

**Another time, Aunt Petunia had been trying to force him into a revolting old sweater of Dudley's (brown with orange puff balls).**

People looked revolted at that, especially some girls.

**The harder she tried to pull it over his head, the smaller it seemed to become, until finally it might have fitted a hand puppet, but certainly wouldn't fit Harry.**

People laughed, waiting to see if he got punished.

**Aunt Petunia had decided it must have shrunk in the wash and, to his great relief, Harry wasn't punished.**

The Hall breathed a sigh of relief.

**On the other hand, he'd gotten into terrible trouble for being found on the roof of the school kitchens. Dudley's gang had been chasing him as usual when, as much to Harry's surprise as anyone else's, there he was sitting on the chimney.**

"Harry," inquired Hermione. Harry looked curiously at her. "Did you apparate or fly?" Harry thought this over for a minute. He finally answered, talking slowly.  
"I'm not sure which, exactly, it was, but...I think it might have been apparition, but it also could have been flying, all I know is that I was thinking 'I want to get away from Dudley's Gang to where they can't reach me.' and next thing I knew I was on the roof and Dudley's gang was staring up at me and yelling about getting the headmistress." People looked curiously at Harry.  
"Either way," grunted Moody. People jumped, they had forgotten he was there. "It's very powerful magic. He'll make a great Auror one day." People looked admiringly at Harry, who was blushing at Moody's praise. Not many people were complemented by Moody, and it was always amazing when you are the one that gets praised by him. Still blushing, Harry continued.

**The Dursleys had received a very angry letter from Harry's headmistress telling them Harry had been climbing school buildings. But all he'd tried to do (as he shouted at Uncle Vernon through the locked door of his cupboard) was jump behind the big trash cans outside the kitchen doors. Harry supposed that the wind must have caught him in mid-jump. **

The twins tsked Harry. "We are going to have to work on your lying skills and excuses." Harry nodded, holding back a laugh. Harry continued to read before anyone objected to the twin's...plan.

**But today, nothing was going to go wrong.**

'He jinxed it.' went through people's heads.

**It was even worth being with Dudley and Piers to be spending the day somewhere that wasn't school, his cupboard, or Mrs. Figg's cabbage-smelling living room. While he drove, Uncle Vernon complained to Aunt Petunia. He liked to complain about things: people at work, Harry, the council, Harry, the bank, and Harry were just a few of his favorite subjects.**

"Wow, Harry. He really likes you." joked the twins.  
"Oh, yes," said Harry, playing along. "He does very much, he just only shows it by complaining about me." A few people chuckled, and Harry continued.

**This morning, it was motorcycles. ". . . roaring along like maniacs, the young hoodlums," he said, as a motorcycle overtook them. "I had a dream about a motorcycle," said Harry, remembering suddenly. "It was flying."**

"Harry." groaned his friends.  
"Sorry." said Harry sheepishly. "I was 10 and excited." he said in his defense His friends shook their head at him, chuckling. Harry rolled his eyes and continued.

**Uncle Vernon nearly crashed into the car in front. He turned right around in his seat and yelled at Harry, his face like a gigantic beet with a mustache: "MOTORCYCLES DON'T FLY!"**

"Yes they do!" yelled the twins. The hall laughed. Harry smiled and continued.

**Dudley and Piers sniggered. "I know they don't," said Harry. "It was only a dream." But he wished he hadn't said anything. If there was one thing the Dursleys hated even more than his asking questions, it was his talking about anything acting in a way it shouldn't, no matter if it was in a dream or even a cartoon — they seemed to think he might get dangerous ideas.**

'Harry doesn't need help getting dangerous ideas.' Thought the adults and some of Harry's friends.  
"What are these cartoons?" inquired the twins. Harry smirked as Mrs. Weasley forbid them from watching cartoons. The twins looked crest fallenly at Harry, who nodded and mouthed 'Later.' The twins beamed at him and Harry continued.

**— they seemed to think he might get dangerous ideas. It was a very sunny Saturday and the zoo was crowded with families. The Dursleys bought Dudley and Piers large chocolate ice creams at the entrance and then, because the smiling lady in the van had asked Harry what he wanted before they could hurry him away, they bought him a cheap lemon ice pop. It wasn't bad, either, Harry thought, licking it as they watched a gorilla scratching its head who looked remarkably like Dudley, except that it wasn't blond.**

The Hall laughed at Harry's description.

**Harry had the best morning he'd had in a long time. He was careful to walk a little way apart from the Dursleys so that Dudley and Piers, who were starting to get bored with the animals by lunchtime, wouldn't fall back on their favorite hobby of hitting him.**

The hall growled.

**They ate in the zoo restaurant, and when Dudley had a tantrum because his knickerbocker glory didn't have enough ice cream on top, Uncle Vernon bought him another one and Harry was allowed to finish the first.**

'Two treats in one day? From the Dursley's? Something's going to happen, and it won't be good.' thought some Adults and Harry's friends.

**Harry felt, afterward, that he should have known it was all too good to last.**

"Saw it coming." someone muttered under their breath. Those who heard nodded in agreement.

**After lunch they went to the reptile house. It was cool and dark in there, with lit windows all along the walls. Behind the glass, all sorts of lizards and snakes were crawling and slithering over bits of wood and stone. Dudley and Piers wanted to see huge, poisonous cobras and thick, man-crushing pythons. Dudley quickly found the largest snake in the place. It could have wrapped its body twice around Uncle Vernon's car and crushed it into a trash can —**

"Impressive." Draco muttered. "I wonder if it could fit around Dudley or Vernon?" he asked, looking at Harry, smirking.  
Harry smirked back, and replied, "It's a close call. I still have no idea how they fit in the car, let alone a doorway." The hall laughed and Harry and Draco continued to smirk until everybody calmed down enough so Harry could read.

**Dudley stood with his nose pressed against the glass, staring at the glistening brown coils. **

"What a lovely sight." was muttered throughout the hall. Harry snorted and continued.

**"Make it move," he whined at his father. Uncle Vernon tapped on the glass, but the snake didn't budge. "Do it again," Dudley ordered. Uncle Vernon rapped the glass smartly with his knuckles, but the snake just snoozed on. "This is boring," Dudley moaned. He shuffled away. Harry moved in front of the tank and looked intently at the snake. He wouldn't have been surprised if it had died of boredom itself — no company except stupid people drumming their fingers on the glass trying to disturb it all day long. It was worse than having a cupboard as a bedroom, where the only visitor was Aunt Petunia hammering on the door to wake you up; at least he got to visit the rest of the house.**

"Mate, You're comparing your life to a snake in captivity?" asked Ron incredulously. Harry shrugged and nodded, then continued.

**The snake suddenly opened its beady eyes. Slowly, very slowly, it raised its head until its eyes were on a level with Harry's. **_**It winked.**_

"How can snakes wink?" asked Hermione. "They don't have eyelids." Harry shrugged, 'How was he supposed to know?', and continued.

**Harry stared. Then he looked quickly around to see if anyone was watching. They weren't. He looked back at the snake and winked, too.**

"And, of course, you wink back." Hermione muttered.

**The snake jerked its head toward Uncle Vernon and Dudley, then raised its eyes to the ceiling. It gave Harry a look that said quite plainly: "I get that all the time." "I know," Harry murmured through the glass, though he wasn't sure the snake could hear him. "It must be really annoying." The snake nodded vigorously. "Where do you come from, anyway?" Harry asked. The snake jabbed its tail at a little sign next to the glass. Harry peered at it. Boa Constrictor, Brazil. "Was it nice there?" The boa constrictor jabbed its tail at the sign again and Harry read on: This specimen was bred in the zoo. "Oh, I see — so you've never been to Brazil?"**

"So, you've never heard of magic, you live with Muggles, and you find talking with a snake normal?" asked Draco incredulously.  
"A lot of strange things happened to me, so I wasn't all that surprised." answered Harry. Draco nodded, and Harry continued before more people questioned his first...conversation with a snake.

**As the snake shook its head, a deafening shout behind Harry made both of them jump. "DUDLEY! MR. DURSLEY! COME AND LOOK AT THIS SNAKE! YOU WON'T BELIEVE WHAT IT'S DOING!" Dudley came waddling toward them as fast as he could. "Out of the way, you," he said, punching Harry in the ribs. Caught by surprise, Harry fell hard on the concrete floor.**

The hall growled.

**What came next happened so fast no one saw how it happened — one second, Piers and Dudley were leaning right up close to the glass, the next, they had leapt back with howls of horror.**

"Wha'd ya do? Wha'd ya do?" asked the twins excitedly. In response, Harry continued.

**Harry sat up and gasped; the glass front of the boa constrictor's tank had vanished.**

McGonagall was surprised, along with most of the Hall. "Mr. Potter," inquired McGonagall to get Harry's attention. Harry turned to her to listen to what she had to say. "If you could do this as accidental magic, why could you not do it in my class?"  
Harry thought for a minute before replying."I'm not sure, Professor, but it might have to do with the fact I wasn't putting my full potential into it, I never do, with anything besides beating Voldemort."  
"And, why, don't you use your full potential for school?" asked McGonagall.  
"Because, when I did in Primary School, and got better grades than Dudley, I got in trouble." was all Harry said. McGonagall looked sadly at Harry.  
"Mr. Potter, if you can do better than you are right now, I encurage you to, you won't be punished for good grades here." McGonagall said. Harry nodded, vowing to do his best from now on, if not for him, then for Minnie and his friends. Harry sighed and continued.

**The great snake was uncoiling itself rapidly, slithering out onto the floor. People throughout the reptile house screamed and started running for the exits. As the snake slid swiftly past him, Harry could have sworn a low, hissing voice said, "Brazil, here I come. . . . Thanksss, amigo."**

"At least he was polite." muttered Hermione. Harry snorted and continued reading.

**The keeper of the reptile house was in shock. "But the glass," he kept saying, "where did the glass go?" The zoo director himself made Aunt Petunia a cup of strong, sweet tea while he apologized over and over again. Piers and Dudley could only gibber. As far as Harry had seen, the snake hadn't done anything except snap playfully at their heels as it passed, but by the time they were all back in Uncle Vernon's car, Dudley was telling them how it had nearly bitten off his leg, while Piers was swearing it had tried to squeeze him to death. But worst of all, for Harry at least, was Piers calming down enough to say, "Harry was talking to it, weren't you, Harry?"**

The Hall groaned, Harry was gonna get it now.

**Uncle Vernon waited until Piers was safely out of the house before starting on Harry. He was so angry he could hardly speak. He managed to say, "Go — cupboard — stay — no meals," before he collapsed into a chair, and Aunt Petunia had to run and get him a large brandy.**

"No meals...drinking in front of children..."some adults muttered. Madam Bones, who had a piece of parchment in front of her and a quill in her hand, was writing down everything that happened to Harry so she could take it to the Auror office at the Ministry so she could get the Dursley's in jail for abuse.

**Harry lay in his dark cupboard much later, wishing he had a watch. He didn't know what time it was and he couldn't be sure the Dursleys were asleep yet. Until they were, he couldn't risk sneaking to the kitchen for some food.**

'He started sneaking around before he came to Hogwarts, so he could live." thought Snape furiously. 'He was going to kill Petunia for letting this happen just because she was jelous of Lily because Lily was a witch and she wasn't.'

**He'd lived with the Dursleys almost ten years, ten miserable years, as long as he could remember, ever since he'd been a baby and his parents had died in that car crash. He couldn't remember being in the car when his parents had died. Sometimes, when he strained his memory during long hours in his cupboard, he came up with a strange vision: a blinding flash of green light and a burning pain on his forehead. This, he supposed, was the crash, though he couldn't imagine where all the green light came from. He couldn't remember his parents at all. His aunt and uncle never spoke about them, and of course he was forbidden to ask questions. There were no photographs of them in the house.**

The Adults and Harry's friends, along with a few others, were saddened by that. None of them could even begin to imagine growing up not knowing their parents, the real way they died, or even what they looked like.

**When he had been younger, Harry had dreamed and dreamed of some unknown relation coming to take him away, but it had never happened; the Dursleys were his only family.**

Remus and Sirius started to feel slightly guilty again, but a glare from Harry stopped them.

**Yet sometimes he thought (or maybe hoped) that strangers in the street seemed to know him. Very strange strangers they were, too. A tiny man in a violet top hat had bowed to him once while out shopping with Aunt Petunia and Dudley. After asking Harry furiously if he knew the man, Aunt Petunia had rushed them out of the shop without buying anything. A wild-looking old woman dressed all in green had waved merrily at him once on a bus. A bald man in a very long purple coat had actually shaken his hand in the street the other day and then walked away without a word. The weirdest thing about all these people was the way they seemed to vanish the second Harry tried to get a closer look.**

'We weren't being careful enough." thought the Adults. 'If people like Dedalus Diggle could find Harry, who said a Death Eater couldn't?'

**At school, Harry had no one. Everybody knew that Dudley's gang hated that odd Harry Potter in his baggy old clothes and broken glasses, and nobody liked to disagree with Dudley's gang.**

"I disagree!" said Harry's friends. Harry smiled grateful at them and closed the book.  
Seeing people looking at him expectantly, Harry said, "The chapters over." Everyone nodded and looked an Dumbledore.

Dumbledore stood up and said, "Now that the chapter's over, who would like to read next?"  
Harry looked at the name of the next chapter, it said 'Letters From No-one'. He looked up and said, "I think Minnie should read this chapter."

Dumbledore looked toward McGonagall, who nodded, silently saying she will read it. "Ok, now that that's settled, any questions? And before you ask, , Lunch will be in a few chapters." Ron put his hand down, blushing to the tips of his ears. "No other question? No? Ok, If you please, Minerva."

McGonagall nodded and read,

**Letters From No-One**


	6. Letters From No-One

**Chapter Three: Letters From No-One**

**A/N: FINALLY FINISHED NEW CHAPTER! Sorry for taking forever to post, I had writers block and I've been sick. I promise to get the next chapter up soon. Read and Review!**

"**Letters From No-One**" read McGonagall.  
"Letters?" questioned the twins.  
All Harry said was, "You'll find out why it's more than one letter."

**The Escape of the Brazilian Boa Constrictor earned Harry his longest-ever punishment. By the time he was allowed out his cupboard again, the summer holidays had started and Dudley had already broken his new video camera, crashed his remote control airplane, and, first time out on his racing bike, knocked down old Mrs. Figg as she crossed Privet Drive on her crutches.**

"Poor Mrs. Figg/ Arabella." said some people. Remus, The Weasley's (surprisingly including Percy, who had at some point sat at the Gryffindor table and concealed with his family), Hermione, The Gryffindor Chasers (Alicia, Angelina, and Katie), McGonagall, Snuffles, Neville, and Luna were fuming.  
"Harry," asked Remus, trying to keep his calm. "When is Dudley's birthday?" Harry mumbled something under his breathe that only Neville and Luna heard. They had looks of pure rage on their faces and a window broke. Mcgonagall flicked her wand and the window fixed, though she was dreading hearing what Harry said.  
"March 12!" screeched Luna. The was in a mixture of shock, rage,confusion, and sadness.  
"Did they at least let you out for school?" asked Hermione, fuming.  
Harry sighed, knowing that he wasn't going to get out of this. "No, They told the school I was in Juvie though I forgot what their excuse for me being in Juvie again was..." Harry trailed of to more anger on many people's parts. Angelina Alicia and Katie were looking sadly at each other. 'Their poor little brother...' went through their heads. The chasers got and gave their little brother a hug and sat back down just as McGonagall continued reading.

**Harry was glad school was over, but their was no escaping Dudley's gang, who visited the house every single day. Peirs, Dennis, Malcolm, and Gordon were all big and stupid, but as Dudley was the biggest and the stupidest of the lot, he was the leader.**

"Can't argue that logic..."Said the Twins. Harry nodded in agreement.

**The rest of them were all quite happy to join in Dudley's favorite sport: Harry Hunting.**

Before anyone could question as to what 'Harry Hunting' consisted of, Harry said, "I'll explain to all who want to know what 'Harry Hunting' is at the next break." People nodded and McGonagall continued.

**This was why Harry spent as much time as possible out of the house, wandering around and thinking about the end of the holidays, where he could see a tiny ray of hope. When September came he would be going off to Secondary school and, for the first time in his life, he wouldn't be with Dudley. Dudley had been accepted to Uncle Vernon's old private school, Smeltings. Piers Polkiss was going there too. Harry, on the other hand was going to**

"HOGWARTS!" screamed some people for fun.  
"I didn't know what Hogwarts was," said Harry to explain what he knew he was going to be mentioned in the book next, Stonewall High.

**Stonewall High, the local public school. Dudley thought this was very funny. "They stuff people's heads down toilets the first day at Stonewall," He told Harry. "Want to come upstairs and practice?"**

"He better not have!" Said Harry's friends, surrogate siblings and some adults. Harry shook his head to indicate that he didn't.

**"No, thanks." said Harry. "The poor toilets never had anything as horrible as your head down it-it might be sick." Then he ran, before Dudley could figure out what he'd said.**

People laughed. The twins literally fell to the floor laughing, along with Luna.  
"I still don't think he did..."said Harry, thinking.  
People laughed harder at that.  
"I'll give you Marauder points for that, Harry." Said Remus, With Snuffles barking his agreement.  
"Very Slytherin of you, Potter." Said Snape, surprising himself along with most of the hall.  
"I'll take that as a compliment, Professer." Said Harry with a sly grin.

**One day in July, Aunt Petunia took Dudley to London to buy his Smeltings uniform, leaning Harry behind at Mrs. Figg's. Mrs. Figg wasn't as bad as usual. It turned out she'd broken her leg tripping on one of her cats, and she didn't seem quite as fond of them as before. She let Harry watch television and gave him a bit of chocolate cake that tasted as though she'd had it for several years.**

Remus gave an over-dramatic gasp. "Poor chocolate." he said sadly. People looked strangely at him.  
"He has a chocolate addiction," said Harry, and those who had looked, along with a few others, nodded. Remus looked affronted, but before he could say anything against it, McGonagall continued, silently agreeing with what Harry said.

**That evening, Dudley paraded around the living room for the family in his brand-new uniform. Smeltings' boys wore maroon tailcoats, orange knickerbockers, and flat straw hats called boaters. They also carried knobbly sticks, used for hitting each other while the teachers weren't looking. This was supposed to be good training for later life.**

Some girls and boys looked sick and some laughed at the description of the Smeltings uniforms. Lavender looked like she was gonna hurl and Pavarti was comforting her.  
"How is hitting each other with sticks supposed to be good training for later life?" asked Hermione. She wasn't the only curious but she was the first to ask.  
"Think about it, 'Mione," said Harry. "We use wands, which are also sticks. We use these sticks to do a lot worse than hit. We use them to do pranks, to slightly harm, to majorly harm, to read minds, to torture and to kill, along with others. We train to use these sticks and we learn to do things that seem impossible to do with a piece of wood. Though, if for some unknown reason, you decide you use your wand/stick to physically harm anyone, you know hit them with it, then okay, just don't break it." People were speechless at Harry's mini-speech. Who knew Harry was so smart? Hermione and some adults were thinking over what Harry said, and it made sense. Hermione nodded and McGonagall continued.

**As he looked at Dudley in his new knickerbockers, Uncle Vernon said gruffly that it was the proudest moment in his life.**

"Not many proud moments I'm guessing?" asked the twins. Harry nodded and chuckled. The twins chuckled, too. McGonagall continued.

**Aunt Petunia burst into tears and said she couldn't believe her Ickle Dudleykins, he looked so handsome and grown-up.**

People laughed at the ridiculous nickname. The twins laughed while they silently vowed to never call Ron 'Ickle Ronniekins' ever again.

**Harry didn't trust himself to speak. He thought two of his ribs might already have cracked from trying not to laugh.**

Harry had no such restraint now, laughing over the memory of his cousin the ridiculous outfit.

**There was a horrible smell in the kitchen the next morning when Harry went in for breakfast. It seemed to be coming from a large metal tub in the sink. He went to have a look. The tub was full of what looked like dirty rags swimming in gray water. "What's this?" he asked Aunt Petunia. Her lips tightened as they always did if he dared to ask a question.**

"Yes, How dare you ask a question, Harry!" Said the twins, mock-scolding. Harry chuckled and looked serious at the same time. then they burst out laughing and a few people joined them. After a few minutes they calmed down enough for McGonagall to continue.

**"Your new uniform," she said. Harry looked in the bowl again. "Oh," he said. "I didn't realize it had to be so wet." "Don't be stupid," snapped Aunt Petunia. "I'm dyeing some of Dudley's old things gray for you, It'll look just like everyone else's when I've finished." Harry seriously doubted this, but thought it best not to argue.**

"Potter? Not Arguing with an adult? The world must be ending." said Snape sarcastically. People literally froze. Snape, dungeon-bat, Slytherin Snape, just made a joke. Harry, Ron, Hermione, Draco, Luna and the twins laughed and the hall slowly un-froze and more people laughed, much to the surprise of Snape. Once it calmed down, McGonagall continued.

**He sat down at the table and tried not to think about how he was going to look on his first day at Stonewall-like he was wearing bits of old elephant skin, probably.**

Harry thought about that then burst out laughing to the confusion of most people. All he said was, "Imagine what an 11 year old scrawny kid with a lightning bolt scar would look like with bits of old elephant skin would look like." People imagined it then laughed with him. Mcgonagall chuckled and continued.

**Dudley and Uncle Vernon came in, both with wrinkled noses because of the smell from Harry's new uniform. Uncle Vernon opened his newspaper as usual and Dudley banged his Smelting stick, which he carried everywhere, on the table. They heard the click of the mail slot and flop of letters on the doormat. "Get the mail, Dudley," said Uncle Vernon from behind his paper. "Make Harry get it." "Get the mail, Harry." "Make Dudley get it." "Poke him with your Smelting stick, Dudley." Harry dodged the Smelting stick and went to get the mail.**

Those who thought that Dudley was going to actually get the mail shook their head at their stupidity. The twins were silently cheering Harry for dodging the Smelting stick.

**Three things lay on the doormat: a postcard from Uncle Vernon's sister Marge, who was vacationing on the Isle of Wight, a brown envelope that looked like a bill, and-a letter for Harry. Harry picked it up and stared at it, his hear twanging like an elastic band.**

"Your heart does strange things, Harry." said Luna dreamily.

**No one, ever in his whole life, had written to him. Who would? He had no friends, no other relatives-he didn't belong to the library, so he'd never even got rude notes asking for books back.**

Some people looked sad, but the twins were smiling.  
"Harry, we distinctly remember both Ron and Ginny writing multiple letters to you. Also, if we aren't mistaken, a lot of other people probably did, too." said the twins together. Harry blanched.  
"Oh, god," said Harry. "Okay, Raise your hand if you ever sent me a letter before school started. Be honest." Over half the hall raised their hands, including people of all four houses, both teens and adults. Harry groaned and shook his head. He motioned for McGonagall to continue and she obliged.

**Yet here it was, a letter, addressed so plainly there could be no mistake:**  
**_Mr. H. Potter_**  
**_The Cupboard under the Stairs_**  
**_4 Privet Drive_**  
**_Little Whinging_**  
**_Surrey_**

"How did you not notice that?" Harry asked.  
"Self-addressing quill." replied McGonagall. Harry nodded and she continued.

**The envelope was thick and heavy, made of yellowish parchment, and the address was written in emerald-green ink. There was no stamp. Turning the envelope over, his hand trembling, Harry saw a purple wax seal bearing a coat of arms; a lion, an eagle, a badger, and a snake surrounding a large letter H.**

The hall cheered for their respective houses, and some cheered for more than one, but all of them cheered together in the end, screaming "Hogwarts!" in unison. After everyone had calmed down and quit laughing, McGonagall continued.

**"Hurry up, boy!" shouted Uncle Vernon from the kitchen.**

Harry ignored what was just read and tried not to go into any flashbacks.

**"What are you doing, checking for letter bombs?" He chuckled at his own joke.**

"Oh my Merlin, Forge, that was so funny!" said Gred, wiping a fake tear from his eye.  
"Yeah, Gred, it was so funny that I forgot to laugh." replied Forge.

**Harry went back to the kitchen, still staring at his letter. He handed Uncle Vernon the bill and the postcard, sat down, and slowly began to open the yellow envelope.**

People shook their heads at young Harry's stupidity.

**Uncle Vernon ripped open the bill, snorted in disgust, and flipped over the postcard. "Marge's ill," he informed Aunt Petunia. "Ate a funny whelk..." "Dad!" said Dudley suddenly. "Dad, Harry's got something!" Harry was on the point of unfolding his letter, which was written in the same heavy parchment as the envelope, when it was jerked sharply out of his hand by Uncle Vernon. "That's mine!" said Harry, trying to snatch it back. "Who'd be writing to you?" sneered Uncle Vernon, shaking the letter open with one hand and glancing at it. His face went from red to green faster than a set of traffic lights. And it didn't stop there. Within second it was the grayish white of old porridge.**

Ron looked disgusted at the description "I'm never eating porridge ever again..."he muttered under his breathe. Out of those who heard, about half shook their heads in agreement, the others just snorted or ignored the comment.

**"P-P-Petunia!" he gasped. Dudley tried to grab the letter to read it, but Uncle Vernon held it high out of his reach. Aunt Petunia took it curiously and read the first line. For a moment she looked like she might faint. She clutched her throat and made a choking noise. "Vernon! Oh my goodness-Vernon!"**

"Drama Queen." People coughed.

**They stared t each other, seeming to have forgotten that Harry and Dudley were still in the room. Dudley wasn't used to being ignored. He gave his father a sharp tap on the head with his Smeltings stick. "I want to read that letter," he said loudly. "I want to read it," said Harry furiously "as it's mine." "Get out, both of you," croaked Uncle Vernon, stuffing the letter back inside its envelope. Harry didn't move. "I WANT MY LETTER!" he shouted.**

"Harry," scolded the twins. "Temper, temper, temper ..." Harry just shook his head while Hermione said, "Here's a tip everyone, DO NOT get on Harry's bad side. It's not pretty and he has a big set of lungs. Seriously, I never knew anyone could yell that loud." People laughed. Harry blushed crimson when he saw people who had heard him yell nod in agreement.

**"Let me see it!" demanded Dudley. "OUT!" roared Uncle Vernon, and he took both Harry and Dudley by the scruffs of their necks and threw them into the hall, slamming the kitchen door behind them. Harry and Dudley promptly had a furious but silent fight over who would listen at the keyhole; Dudley won, so Harry, his glasses dangling from one ear, lay flat on his stomach to listen at the crack between door and floor.**

Fred grumbled and handed George 5 sickles. "Told you," said George. "Yeah, whatever," replied Fred. "Guys," said Harry. "Before you pick who's gonna win a fight, think about who is bigger and/or has more power than their opponent at the time. Dudley was 5 times bigger than me and I'm just thankful he didn't sit on me." The twins nodded, silently promising to try it next time. "Anyway, The floors a better was to listen to conversations when the doors closed. Being fast and being good at hiding are two good things for spying, being attacked along with other things." The twins nodded again, storing the useful information.

**"Vernon," Aunt Petunia was saying in a quivering voice,"look at the address-how could they possibly know where he sleeps? You don't think they're watching the house?" "Watching-spying-might be following us," muttered Uncle Vernon wildly. "But what should we do, Vernon? Should we write back? Tell them we don't want-" Harry could see Uncle Vernon's shiny black shoes pacing up and down the kitchen. "No," he said finally. "No, we'll ignore they don't get an answer...Yes, that's best...we son't do anything..." "But-" I'm not having one in the house Petunia! Didn't we swear when we took him in we'd stamp out that dangerous nonsense?"**

Some of Harry's friends and some adults shook with suppressed rage towards the Dursleys. That was like them saying they hurt their Harry, and they know they did so it made them even madder. Dumbledore was the most furious. The only thought in his head besides anger towards the Dursley's and him putting Harry with the Dursley's, was one name, 'Ariana'.

**That evening when he got back from work, Uncle Vernon did something he'd never done before; he visited Harry in his cupboard. "Where's my letter?" said Harry, the moment Uncle Vernon squeezed through the door. "Who's writing to me?" "No one. It was addressed to you by mistake," said Uncle Vernon shortly. "I have burned it." "It was not a mistake," said Harry angrily. "it had my cupboard on it." "SILENCE!" yelled Uncle Vernon, and a couple of spiders fell from the ceiling. He took a few deep breaths and then forced his face into a smile, which looked quite painful. "Er-yes, Harry-about this cupboard. Your aunt and I have been thinking...you're really getting a bit big for it...we think it might be nice if you moved into Dudley's second bedroom."**

"He had TWO bedrooms, and you had a F***ING CUPBOARD!" screamed Molly, Luna, Hermione, The Gryff chasers, McGonagall, and Poppy in unison. People were surprised at their language, but Harry just sighed. "Minnie, please just continue reading before all 8 of you lose your heads." said Harry. McGonagall calmed down and continued.

**"Why?" said Harry. "Don't ask questions!" snapped his uncle. "Take this stuff upstairs, now." The Dursley's had four bedrooms: one for Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia, one for visitors (usually Uncle Vernon's sister, Marge), one where Dudley slept, and one where Dudley kept all the toys and things that wouldn't fit into his first bedroom.**

The eight females who had lost it last time had to work hard not to curse the Dursleys. They had four bedrooms. Two they barely used. And they stuck Harry in a cupboard under the stairs. They all officially hated the Dursleys more than they thought possible.

**It only took Harry one trip upstairs to move everything he owned from the cupboard to this room. He sat down on the bed and stared around him. Nearly everything in here was broken. The three month-old video camera was laying on top of a small, working tank Dudley had once driven over the next door neighbor;s dog; in the corner was Dudley's first ever television set, which he'd put his foot through when his favorite program had been canceled; there was a large birdcage, which had once held a parrot that Dudley had swapped at school for a real air rifle, which was up on a shelf with one end all bent because Dudley had sat on it. Other shelves were full of books. They were the only things in the room that looked as though they'd never been touched.**

Hermione looked mortified which made her friends chuckle.

**From downstairs came the sound of Dudley bawling at his mother, "I don't want him in there...I need that room...make him get out..." Harry sighed and stretched out on the bed. yesterday he'd have given anything to be up here. Today he'd rather be in his cupboard with that letter than up here without it. Next morning at breakfast, everyone was rather quiet. Dudley was in shock. He'd screamed, whacked his father with his Smeltings stick, been sick on purpose, kicked his mother, and thrown his tortoise through the greenhouse roof, and he still didn't have his room back. Harry was thinking at about this time yesterday and bitterly wishing he'd opened the letter in the hall. Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia kept looking at each other darkly. When the mail arrived, Uncle Vernon, who seemed to be trying to be nice to Harry, made Dudley go and get it. They heard him banging things with his Smeltings stick all the way down the hall. Then he shouted, "There's another one! 'Mr. H. Potter, The Smallest Bedroom, 4 Privet Drive-"**

"If he wanted to read it, why did he shout that their was another one?" asked Hermione.  
"'Mione, Dudley can barely read. He can, but he reads about as well as if he was 5 or 6 years old." Said Harry. Chuckles could be heard and Hermione nodded smirking.

**With a strangled cry, Uncle Vernon lept from his seat and ran down the hall, Harry right behind him. Uncle Vernon had to wrestle Dudley to the ground to get the letter from him, which was made difficult by the fact that Harry had grabbed Uncle Vernon around the neck from behind.**

Ron and Hermione shared incredulous looks. They turned incredulous looks to Harry and said in perfect unison "What's with you grabbing things over twice your size from behind by their necks!?" Harry just laughed and said, "No clue, but at least I had practice other wise that could have been a disaster " People were looking at the trio like they were crazy. All three of them were laughing. Once they calmed down, McGonagall continued.

**After a minute of confused fighting, in which everyone got hit a lot by the Smelting stick, Uncle Vernon straightened up, gasping for breath, with Harry's letter clutched in his hand. "Go to your cupboard-I mean, your bedroom," he wheezed at Harry. "Dudley-go-just go." Harry walked round and round his new room. Someone knew he had moved out of his cupboard and they seemed to know he hadn't received his first letter. Surely that meant they'd try again? And this time he'd make sure they didn't fail. He had a plan.**

Ron and Hermione groaned. "What?" asked Harry. "Nothing, mate. It's just that when you were younger your plans tended to suck." said Ron. Harry glared, and said, "I was 11 and I personally think this would've been a great plan if it hadn't been slightly obvious."

**The repaired alarm clock rang at six o'clock the next morning. Harry turned it off quickly and dressed silently. He mustn't wake the Dursleys. He stole downstairs without turning on any of the lights. He was going to wait for the postman on the corner of Privet Drive and get the letters for number four first. His heart hammered as he crept across the dark hall toward the front door-"AAAAARRRGH!" Harry lept into the air; he'd trodden on something big and squashy on the doormat-something alive! Lights clicked on upstairs and to his horror Harry realized that the big, squashy something had been his uncle's face. Uncle Vernon had been lying at the foot of the door in a sleeping bag, clearly making sure that Harry didn't do exactly what he'd been trying to do.**

I see what you mean, Mate." said Ron, Hermione nodding in agreement. Harry just rolled his eyes.

**He shouted at Harry for half an hour and then told him to go and make a cup of tea. Harry shuffled miserably off into the kitchen and by the time he got back, the mail had arrived, right into Uncle Vernon's lap. Harry could three letters addressed in green ink. "I want-" he began, but Uncle Vernon was tearing the letters into pieces right before his eyes. Uncle Vernon didn't go to work that day. He stayed at home and nailed up the mail slot "See," he explained to Aunt Petunia through a mouthful of nails, "if they can't deliver them they'll just give up." "I'm not sure that will work, Vernon." "Oh, these people's minds work in strange ways, Petunia, they're not like you and me," said Uncle Vernon, trying to knock in a nail with a piece of fruitcake Aunt Petunia had just given him.**

"Thank Merlin we're not like my Aunt and Uncle," said Harry, many nodding in agreement. "How would you use fruitcake as a hammer?" asked someone who Harry didn't know by name. "Considering that my Aunt Petunia cooked it, pretty easily. Her cooking always sucks, and her fruitcake's are harder then Hagrid's rock cakes." Replied Harry. Everyone who had had Hagrid's rock cakes were amazed. How do you make anything harder than Hagrid's rock cakes?

**On Friday, no less than twelve letters arrived for Harry. As they couldn't go through the mail slot they had been pushed under the door, slotted through the sides, and a few even forced through the small window in the downstairs bathroom. Uncle Vernon stayed at home again. After burning all the letters, he got out a hammer and nails and boarded up the cracks around the front and back doors so no one could go out. He hummed "Tiptoe Through the Tulips" as he worked, and jumped at small noises.**

"Paranoid," coughed the twins, causing some people to laugh and nod their agreement.

**On Saturday, things began to get out of hand. Twenty-four letters to Harry had found their into the house, rolled up and hidden inside each of the two dozen eggs that their very confused milkman handed Aunt Petunia through the living room window. While Uncle Vernon made furious telephone calls to the post office and the dairy trying to find someone to complain to, Aunt Petunia shredded the letters in her food processor. "Who on earth wants to talk to you this badly?" Dudley asked Harry in amazement.**

"HOGWARTS!" screamed the twins, causing laughter to break out.

**On Sunday morning, Uncle Vernon sat down at the breakfast table looking tired and rather ill, but happy. "No post on Sundays," he reminded them cheerfully as he spread marmalade on his newspapers,**

"That's,um...kind of...odd, isn't it?" asked Draco slowly. Harry nodded and said, "This is when I knew he had finally fallen off the deep end. Who eats newspaper like toast?" Draco nodded and McGonagall continued.

**"no damn letters today-" Something came whizzing down the kitchen chimneys he spoke and caught him sharply on the back of the head. Next moment, thirty or forty letters came pelting out of the chimney like bullets. The Dursleys ducked, but Harry jumped into the air and tried to catch one-"Out! OUT!" Uncle Vernon seized Harry by the waist and threw him into the hall. When Aunt Petunia and Dudley had run out with their arms over their faces, Uncle Vernon slammed the door shut. They could hear the letters till streaming into the room, bouncing off the walls and floor. "That does it," said Uncle Vernon, trying to speak calmly but pulling out great tufts of his mustache at the same time. "I want back in five minutes ready to leave. We're going away. Just pack some clothes. No arguments!" He looked so dangerous with half his mustache missing that no one dared argue. Ten minutes later they had wrenched their way through the boarded-up doors and were in the car, speeding toward the highway. Dudley was sniffling in the back seat; his father had hit him round the head for holding them up while he tried to pack his television, VCR, and computer in his sports bag.**

"Brat," some people said under their breaths. Harry just rolled his eyes.

**They drove. And they drove. Even Aunt Petunia didn't dare ask where they were going. Every now and then Uncle Vernon would take a sharp turn and drive in the opposite direction for a while. "Shake 'em off...shake 'em off," he would mutter whenever he did this.**

"Not gonna work!" sang the twins.

**They didn't stop to eat or drink all day. By nightfall Dudley was howling. He'd never had such a bad day. He was hungry, he's missed five television programs he'd wanted to see, and he'd never gone so long without blowing up an alien on his computer.**

"Welcome to by life, Big D." Said Harry.

**Uncle Vernon stopped at last outside a gloomy-looking hotel on the outskirts of a big city. Dudley and Harry shared a room with twin beds and damp, musty sheets. Dudley snored but Harry stayed awake, sitting on the windowsill, staring down at the lights of passing cars and wondering...**

"Wondering what?" asked Ron. "I was wondering about the letter, trying to figure out who would send me letters, and why." replied Harry. Ron nodded.

**They ate stale cornflakes and cold tinned tomatoes on toast for breakfast the next day. They had just finished when the owner of the hotel came over to their table. "'Scuse me, but is one of you Mr. H. Potter? Only I got about an 'undred of these at the front desk." She held up a letter so they could read the green ink address:**

**_Mr. H. Potter_**  
_**Room 17**_  
_**Railview Hotel**_  
_**Cokeworth**_

**Harry made a grab for the letter but Uncle Vernon knocked his hand out of the way. The woman stared. "I'll take them," said Uncle Vernon, standing up quickly and following her from the dining room. "Wouldn't it be better just to go home, dear?" Aunt Petunia suggested timidly, hours later, but Uncle Vernon didn't seem to hear her. Exactly what he was looking for, none of them knew. He drove them into the middle of the forest, got out, looked around, shook his head, got back in the car, and off they went again. Tee same thing happened in the middle of a plowed field, halfway across a suspension bridge, and at the top of a multilevel parking garage. "Daddy's gone mad, hasn't he?" Dudley asked Aunt Petunia dully late that afternoon.**

"If that fat tub of lard can figure it out, then it's gotta be true." Said Fred and George.  
"Dudley, Daddy went mad a long time ago." Said Harry at the same time. People laughed.

**Uncle Vernon had parked at the coast, locked them all inside the car, and disappeared. It started to rain. Great drops beat on the roof of the car. Dudley sniveled. "It's Monday," he told his mother. "The Great Humberto's on tonight. I want to stay somewhere with a television." Monday. This reminded Harry of something. If it was Monday-and you could usually count on Dudley to know the days of the week, because of television-then tomorrow, Tuesday, was Harry's eleventh birthday.**

"Happy Birthday, Harry!" screamed Harry's friends plus a few others. Harry chuckled and said, "Guys, my birthday was months ago, and the one they are talking about in the book was years ago." They just shrugged their shoulders and the twins stuck their tongs out at Harry.

**Of course, his birthdays were never exactly fun-last year, the Dursleys had given him a coat hanger and a pair of Uncle Vernon's old socks. Still, you weren't eleven every day. Uncle Vernon was back and he was smiling. He was also carrying a long, thin package and didn't answer Aunt Petunia when she asked what he'd bought. "Found the perfect place!" he said. "Come on! Everyone out!" It was very cold outside the car. Uncle Vernon was pointing at what looked like a large rock way out at sea. Perched on top of the rock was the most miserable little shack you could imagine. One thing was certain, there was no television in there. "Storm forecast for tonight!" said Uncle Vernon gleefully, clapping his hands together. "And this gentleman's kindly agreed to lend us his boat!" A toothless old man came ambling uo to them, pointing, with a rather wicked grin, at an old rowboat bobbing in the iron-gray water below them. "I've already got us some rations," said Uncle Vernon,"so all aboard!" It was freezing in the boat. Icy sea spray and rain crept down their necks and a chilly wind whipped their faces. After what seemed like hours they reached the rock, where Uncle Vernon, slipping and sliding led the way to the broken-down house. The inside was horrible; it smelled strongly of seaweed, the wind whistled through the gaps in the wooden walls, and the fire place was damp and empty. There were only two rooms. Uncle Vernon's rations turned out to be a bag of chips each and four bananas.**

"Those aren't rations!" said Poppy furiously. "That's barely a meal! And don't even get me started on what you had for breakfast at that hotel...And that house! It's very unsafe. You could've got a cold or worse..."Poppy broke off mumbling about not enough food, unsafe houses and colds.

**He tried to start a fire but the empty chip bags just smoked and shriveled up. "Could do with some of those letters now, eh?" he said cheerfully. He was in a very good mood. Obviously he thought nobody stood a chance of reaching them here in a storm to deliver mail. Harry privately agreed, though the thought didn't cheer him up at all.**

"Oh, Harry, our favorite pessimist" said Hermione fondly. Harry glared at her, but she just laughed. "Oh, you know it's true, don't bother trying to deny it."

**As night fell, the promised storm blew up around them. Spray from the high waves splattered the walls of the hut and a fierce wind rattled the filthy windows. Aunt Petunia found a few moldy blankets in the second room and made up a bed for Dudley on the moth-eaten sofa. She and Uncle Vernon went off to the lumpy bed next door, and Harry was left to find the softest bit of floor he could and to curl up under the thinnest, most ragged blanket.**

Poppy started to mutter furiously about colds and killing the Dursleys. This time other adults and some teens joining her, mostly female.

**The storm raged more and more ferociously as the night went on. Harry couldn't sleep. He shivered and turned over, trying to get comfortable, his stomach rumbling with hunger.**

For some reason a plate full of food and a bottle of what appeared to be a nutrition potion appeared in front of Harry. He looked up and saw all the female adults, some male adults and all his friends staring him down, silently telling him to eat. He held up his hands in surrender, knowing he would have to eat even though that was four years ago. He picked up a fork and began to eat, silently asking McGonagall with his eyes to continue. She obliged.

**Dudley's snores were drowned by the low rolls of thunder that started near midnight. The lighted dial of Dudley's watch, which was dangling over the edge of the sofa on his fat wrist, told Harry that he'd be eleven in ten minutes time. He lay and watched his birthday tick nearer, wondering if the Dursleys would remember at all, wondering where the letter writer was now. Five minutes to go. Harry heard something creak outside. He hoped he roof wasn't going to fall in, although he might be warmer if it did.**

"Pessimist," sang Hermione. Harry glared, then finished the last of his plate, downed his potion, and the plate and the bottle disappeared.

**Four minutes to go. Maybe the house in Privet Drive would be so full of letters when they got back that he'd be able to steal one somehow. Three minutes to go. Was that the sea, slapping hard on the rock like that? And (two minutes to go) what was that funny crunching noise? Was that rock crumbling into the sea? One minute to go and he'd be eleven. Thirty seconds...twenty...ten...nine-maybe he'd wake Dudley up, just to annoy him-**

"Do it, Do it!" cheered the twins. Harry looked like he was waiting for something. He had a smirk on that made people scoot away.

**-three...two...one...BOOM!**

People jumped. Harry had been anticipating the 'one'. He knew that right after that, Hagrid knocked. So once he heard it, he waited a second then screamed 'BOOM' when McGonagall read it. Now people were glaring at him. Remus was glad he had told him ahead of time and Sirius was glad that he had covered his ears. The twins, Harry, Luna and Draco were laughing along with the part of the hall that wasn't glaring. Once they calmed down, McGonagall continued.

**The whole shack shivered and Harry sat bolt upright, staring at the door. Someone was outside, knocking to come in.**

"Who?" asked Molly frantically.  
"It doesn't say. The chapter's over." said McGonagall,setting the book down in the table.  
"Headmaster, when is the next break?" asked Ron, wanting to know what 'Harry Hunting' consisted of.  
"After another two chapters, Mr. Weasley." replied Dumbledore. Ron nodded. "Who would like to read next?"  
"I will, Headmaster." said Hagrid, taking the book form McGonagall.  
"**Chapter Four, The Keeper of The Keys**" read Hagrid.


	7. The Keeper of The Keys

**Disclaimer: I Do Not Own Harry Potter, J.K. Rowling Does.**

**A/N: Sorry for the long wait! I had writers block! I'll try to finish the next chapter as soon as possible and update soon! Read and Review!**

**Chapter Four, The Keeper of The Keys**

**"Chapter Four, The Keeper of The Keys**," read Hagrid, smiling.

**BOOM. They knocked again. Dudley jerked awake.**

**"Where's the cannon?" he said stupidly.**

**There was a crash behind them and Uncle Vernon came skidding into the room. He was holding a rifle in his hands – now they knew what had been in the long, thin package he had brought with them.**

"HE BROUGHT A GUN!" screeched Molly. Harry nodded slowly and Hagrid continued.

**"Who's there?" he shouted. "I warn you — I'm armed!"**  
**There was a pause. Then —**  
**SMASH!**  
**The door was hit with such force that it swung clean off its hinges and with a deafening crash landed flat on the floor.**  
**A giant of a man was standing in the doorway. His face was almost completely hidden by a long, shaggy mane of hair and a wild, tangled beard, but you could make out his eyes, glinting like black beetles under all the hair.**

"HAGRID!" cheered the twins and Harry. Hagrid smiled at them and continued.

**The giant squeezed his way into the hut, stooping so that his head just brushed the ceiling. He bent down, picked up the door, and fitted it easily back into its frame. The noise of the storm outside dropped a little. He turned to look at them all.**  
**"Couldn't make us a cup o' tea, could yeh? It's not been an easy journey…"**

"Hagrid." said McGonagall, smiling. Hagrid shrugged and continued.

**He strode over to the sofa where Dudley sat frozen with fear.**  
**"Budge up, yeh great lump," said the stranger.**  
**Dudley squeaked and ran to hide behind his mother, who was crouching, terrified, behind Uncle Vernon.**  
**"An' here's Harry!" said the giant.**  
**Harry looked up into the fierce, wild, shadowy face and saw that the beetle eyes were crinkled in a smile.**  
**"Las' time I saw you, you was only a baby," said the giant. "Yeh look a lot like yer dad, but yeh've got yer mom's eyes."**

"First time I heard that, but definently not the last." said Harry, smiling slightly.

**"I demand that you leave at once, sir!" he said. "You are breaking and entering!"**  
**"Ah, shut up, Dursley, yeh great prune," said the giant; he reached over the back of the sofa, jerked the gun out of Uncle Vernon's hands, bent it into a knot as easily as if it had been made of rubber, and threw it into a corner of the room.**

"GO HAGRID!" cheered some of the students. Hagrid blushed and continued.

**Uncle Vernon made another funny noise, like a mouse being trodden on.**  
**"Anyway — Harry," said the giant, turning his back on the Dursleys, "a very happy birthday to yeh. Got summat fer yeh here — I mighta sat on it at some point, but it'll taste all right."**  
**From an inside pocket of his black overcoat he pulled a slightly squashed box. Harry opened it with trembling fingers. Inside was a large, sticky chocolate cake with Happy Birthday Harry written on it in green icing.**

"Awww..." could be heard in multiple places in the hall. Both Harry and Hagrid blushed.

**Harry looked up at the giant. He meant to say thank you, but the words got lost on the way to his mouth, and what he said instead was, "Who are you?"**

"Manners, Harry." mock-scolded the twins. Harry smirked before putting on a fake-solemn expression and said, "Yes, sirs." with a mock-salute before all three of them burst out laughing and Hagrid continued.

**The giant chuckled.**  
**"True, I haven't introduced meself. Rubeus Hagrid, Keeper of Keys and Grounds at Hogwarts."**  
**He held out an enormous hand and shook Harry's whole arm.**  
**"What about that tea then, eh?" he said, rubbing his hands together. "I'd not say no ter summat stronger if yeh've got it, mind."**

"Hagrid." admonished Molly. Hagrid shrugged sheepishly and continued.

**His eyes fell on the empty grate with the shriveled chip bags in it and he snorted. He bent down over the fireplace; they couldn't see what he was doing but when he drew back a second later, there was a roaring fire there. It filled the whole damp hut with flickering light and Harry felt the warmth wash over him as though he'd sunk into a hot bath. The giant sat back down on the sofa, which sagged under his weight, and began taking all sorts of things out of the pockets of his coat: a copper kettle, a squashy package of sausages, a poker, a teapot, several chipped mugs, and a bottle of some amber liquid that he took a swig from before starting to make tea. Soon the hut was full of the sound and smell of sizzling sausage. Nobody said a thing while the giant was working, but as he slid the first six fat, juicy, slightly burnt sausages from the poker, Dudley fidgeted a little. Uncle Vernon said sharply, "Don't touch anything he gives you, Dudley."**

"He doesn't need anything, he's fat enough as it is." said Harry, smirking.

**The giant chuckled darkly.**  
**"Yer great puddin' of a son don' need fattenin' anymore, Dursley, don' worry."**

People chuckled.

**He passed the sausages to Harry, who was so hungry he had never tasted anything so wonderful, but he still couldn't take his eyes off the giant. Finally, as nobody seemed about to explain anything, he said, "I'm sorry, but I still don't really know who you are."**  
**The giant took a gulp of tea and wiped his mouth with the back of his hand.**  
**"Call me Hagrid," he said, "everyone does. An' like I told yeh, I'm Keeper of Keys at Hogwarts — yeh'll know all about Hogwarts, o' course."**  
**"Er — no," said Harry.**  
**Hagrid looked shocked**  
**"Sorry," Harry said quickly.**

"Why did you apologize?" asked Luna.  
"I was used to being blamed for everything, it was like a reflex." replied Harry. Luna nodded and Hagrid continued.

**"Sorry?" barked Hagrid, turning to stare at the Dursleys, who shrank back into the shadows. "It's them as should be sorry! I knew yeh weren't gettin' yer letters but I never thought yeh wouldn't even know abou' Hogwarts, fer cryin' out loud! Did yeh never wonder where yer parents learned it all?"**  
**"All what?" asked Harry.**  
**"ALL WHAT?" Hagrid thundered. "Now wait jus' one second!"**  
**He had leapt to his feet. In his anger he seemed to fill the whole hut. The Dursleys were cowering against the wall.**  
**"Do you mean ter tell me," he growled at the Dursleys, "that this boy — this boy! — knows nothin' abou' — about ANYTHING?"**

"That was a little harsh, but I know what you meant now." said Harry. Hagrid nodded and continued.

**Harry thought this was going a bit far. He had been to school, after all, and his marks weren't bad.**  
**"I know some things," he said. "I can, you know, do math and stuff."**  
**But Hagrid simply waved his hand and said, "About our world, I mean. Your world. My world. Yer parents' world."**  
**"What world?"**  
**Hagrid looked as if he was about to explode.**  
**"DURSLEY!" he boomed.**  
**Uncle Vernon, who had gone very pale, whispered something that sounded like "Mimblewimble." Hagrid stared wildly at Harry.**  
**"But yeh must know about yer mom and dad," he said. "I mean, they're famous. You're famous."**

"I don't like the fact that I'm famous for something I don't even remember. Next time someone says their jealous of my fame I'm going to remind them that I got my fame when my parents were murdered and I almost died." said Harry, shocking a lot of people..

**"What? My — my mom and dad weren't famous, were they?"**  
**"Yeh don' know... yeh don' know…" Hagrid ran his fingers through his hair, fixing Harry with a bewildered stare.**  
**"Yeh don' know what yeh are?" he said finally.**  
**Uncle Vernon suddenly found his voice.**  
**"Stop!" he commanded. "Stop right there, sir! I forbid you to tell the boy anything!"**

"Not gonna work!" sand the twins.

**A braver man than Vernon Dursley would have quailed under the furious look Hagrid now gave him; when Hagrid spoke, his every syllable trembled with rage.**  
**"You never told him? Never told him what was in the letter Dumbledore left fer him? I was there! I saw Dumbledore leave it, Dursley! An' you've kept it from him all these years?"**  
**"Kept what from me?" said Harry eagerly.**  
**"STOP! I FORBID YOU!" yelled Uncle Vernon in panic.**  
**Aunt Petunia gave a gasp of horror.**  
**"Ah, go boil yer heads, both of yeh," said Hagrid. "Harry — yer a wizard."**  
**There was silence inside the hut. Only the sea and the whistling wind could be heard.**  
**"I'm a what?" gasped Harry.**

"Nice reaction, Harry." said Hermione, chuckling.  
"'Mione, what was your reaction?" asked Harry, smirking.  
"I didn't believer her until she proved it transfiguring my coffee table into a dog." said Hermione, blushing. Harry chuckled and Hagrid continued.

**"A wizard, o' course," said Hagrid, sitting back down on the sofa, which groaned and sank even lower, "an' a thumpin' good 'un, I'd say, once yeh've been trained up a bit. With a mum an' dad like yours, what else would yeh be? An' I reckon it's abou' time yeh read yer letter."**

"Finally!" cheered the twins.

**Harry stretched out his hand at last to take the yellowish envelope, addressed in emerald green to Mr. H. Potter, The Floor, Hut-on-the-Rock, The Sea. He pulled out the letter and read:**  
**HOGWARTS SCHOOL of WITCHCRAFT and WIZARDRY**  
**Headmaster: ALBUS DUMBLEDORE**  
**(Order of Merlin, First Class, Grand Sorc., Chf. Warlock, Supreme Mugwump, International Confed. of Wizards)**  
**Dear Mr. Potter,**  
**We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Please find enclosed a list of all necessary books and equipment.**  
**Term begins on September 1. We await your owl by no later than July 31.**  
**Yours sincerely,**  
**Minerva McGonagall,**  
**Deputy Headmistress**  
**Questions exploded inside Harry's head like fireworks and he couldn't decide which to ask first. After a few minutes he stammered, "What does it mean, they await my owl?"**

"Mate, that was your first question?" asked Ron. Harry nodded.

**"Gallopin' Gorgons, that reminds me," said Hagrid, clapping a hand to his forehead with enough force to knock over a cart horse, and from yet another pocket inside his overcoat he pulled an owl — a real, live, rather ruffled-looking owl — a long quill, and a roll of parchment. With his tongue between his teeth he scribbled a note that Harry could read upside down:**  
**Dear Professor Dumbledore,**  
**Given Harry his letter.**  
**Taking him to buy his things tomorrow.**  
**Weather's horrible. Hope you're well.**  
**Hagrid**  
**Hagrid rolled up the note, gave it to the owl, which clamped it in its beak, went to the door, and threw the owl out into the storm. Then he came back and sat down as though this was as normal as talking on the telephone.**

"It is," said the twins.  
"You can read Hagrid's writing upside down? I can barely read it right-side up!" said Ron, causing Harry to chuckle.

**Harry realized his mouth was open and closed it quickly.**

People chuckled.

**"Where was I?" said Hagrid, but at that moment, Uncle Vernon, still ashen-faced but looking very angry, moved into the firelight.**  
**"He's not going," he said.**  
**Hagrid grunted.**  
**"I'd like ter see a great Muggle like you stop him," he said.**  
**"A what?" said Harry, interested.**  
**"A Muggle," said Hagrid, "it's what we call nonmagic folk like them. An' it's your bad luck you grew up in a family o' the biggest Muggles I ever laid eyes on."**

The twins chuckled. "Very true."

We swore when we took him in we'd put a stop to that rubbish," said Uncle Vernon, "swore we'd stamp it out of him! Wizard indeed!"

A lot of glares were directed toward the book at that comment.

**"You knew?" said Harry. "You knew I'm a — a wizard?"**  
**"Knew!" shrieked Aunt Petunia suddenly. "Knew! Of course we knew! How could you not be, my dratted sister being what she was? Oh, she got a letter just like that and disappeared off to that — that school — and came home every vacation with her pockets full of frog spawn, turning teacups into rats. I was the only one who saw her for what she was — a freak! But for my mother and father, oh no, it was Lily this and Lily that, they were proud of having a witch in the family!"**  
**She stopped to draw a deep breath and then went ranting on. It seemed she had been wanting to say all this for years.**

"Probably has," muttered Harry and Snape at the same time.

**"Then she met that Potter at school and they left and got married and had you, and of course I knew you'd be just the same, just as strange, just as — as —abnormal — and then, if you please, she went and got herself blown up and we got landed with you!"**

"That's a horrible way to find out!" said Hermione furiously.

**Harry had gone very white. As soon as he found his voice he said, "Blown up? You told me they died in a car crash!"**  
**"CAR CRASH!" roared Hagrid, jumping up so angrily that the Dursleys scuttled back to their corner. "How could a car crash kill Lily an' James Potter? It's an outrage! A scandal! Harry Potter not knowin' his own story when every kid in our world knows his name!"**  
**"But why? What happened?" Harry asked urgently.**  
**The anger faded from Hagrid's face. He looked suddenly anxious.**  
**"I never expected this," he said, in a low, worried voice. "I had no idea, when Dumbledore told me there might be trouble gettin' hold of yeh, how much yeh didn't know. Ah, Harry, I don' know if I'm the right person ter tell yeh — but someone's gotta — yeh can't go off ter Hogwarts not knowin'."**

"That would not be smart." said the twins.

**He threw a dirty look at the Dursleys.**  
**"Well, it's best yeh know as much as I can tell yeh — mind, I can't tell yeh everythin', it's a great myst'ry, parts of it…"**  
**He sat down, stared into the fire for a few seconds, and then said, "It begins, I suppose, with — with a person called — but it's incredible yeh don't know his name, everyone in our world knows —"**  
**"Who?"**  
**"Well — I don' like sayin' the name if I can help it. No one does."**  
**"Why not?"**  
**"Gulpin' gargoyles, Harry, people are still scared. Blimey, this is difficult. See, there was this wizard who went… bad. As bad as you could go. Worse. Worse than worse. His name was…"**  
**Hagrid gulped, but no words came out.**  
**"Could you write it down?" Harry suggested.**  
**"Nah — can't spell it. All right —Voldemort. "**

"You actually got Hagrid to say it?" asked Remus. Harry nodded. "YOu really can do the impossible. Me, Sirius and James tried for years to get him to say it, even Dumbledore couldn't." Harry and Hagrid both blushed slightly and Hagrid continued.

**Hagrid shuddered. "Don' make me say it again. Anyway, this — this wizard, about twenty years ago now, started lookin' fer followers. Got 'em, too — some were afraid, some just wanted a bit o' his power, 'cause he was gettin' himself power, all right. Dark days, Harry. Didn't know who ter trust, didn't dare get friendly with strange wizards or witches… terrible things happened. He was takin' over. 'Course, some stood up to him — an' he killed 'em. Horribly. One o' the only safe places left was Hogwarts. Reckon Dumbledore's the only one You-Know-Who was afraid of. Didn't dare try takin' the school, not jus' then, anyway.**  
**"Now, yer mum an' dad were as good a witch an' wizard as I ever knew. Head boy an' girl at Hogwarts in their day! Suppose the myst'ry is why You-Know-Who never tried to get 'em on his side before… probably knew they were too close ter Dumbledore ter want anythin' ter do with the Dark Side.**  
**"Maybe he thought he could persuade 'em… maybe he just wanted 'em outta the way. All anyone knows is, he turned up in the village where you was all living, on Halloween ten years ago. You was just a year old. He came ter yer house an' — an' —"**  
**Hagrid suddenly pulled out a very dirty, spotted handkerchief and blew his nose with a sound like a foghorn.**  
**"Sorry," he said. "But it's that sad — knew yer mum an' dad, an' nicer people yeh couldn't find — anywa…**  
**"You-Know-Who killed 'em. An' then — an' this is the real myst'ry of the thing — he tried to kill you, too. Wanted ter make a clean job of it, I suppose, or maybe he just liked killin' by then. But he couldn't do it. Never wondered how you got that mark on yer forehead? That was no ordinary cut. That's what yeh get when a powerful, evil curse touches yeh — took care of yer mum an' dad an' yer house, even — but it didn't work on you, an' that's why yer famous, Harry. No one ever lived after he decided ter kill 'em, no one except you, an' he'd killed some o' the best witches an' wizards of the age — the McKinnons, the Bones, the Prewetts — an' you was only a baby, an' you lived."**

"It truly was a miracle," said Dumbledore.

**Something very painful was going on in Harry's mind. As Hagrid's story came to a close, he saw again the blinding flash of green light, more clearly than he had ever remembered it before — and he remembered something else, for the first time in his life: a high, cold, cruel laugh.**

"You remembered that?" asked Molly, horrified.  
Harry nodded, "And a lot more now."

**Hagrid was watching him sadly.**  
**"Took yeh from the ruined house myself, on Dumbledore's orders. Brought yeh ter this lot…**"

Harry sighed, shacking his head. 'That was a mistake." he thought.

**"Load of old tosh," said Uncle Vernon. Harry jumped; he had almost forgotten that the Dursleys were there. Uncle Vernon certainly seemed to have got back his courage. He was glaring at Hagrid and his fists were clenched.**  
**"Now, you listen here, boy," he snarled, "I accept there's something strange about you, probably nothing a good beating wouldn't have cured**

Growls were heard at this statement.

**— and as for all this about your parents, well, they were weirdoes, no denying it, and the world's better off without them in my opinion — asked for all they got, getting mixed up with these wizarding types — just what I expected, always knew they'd come to a sticky end —"**

More growls.

**But at that moment, Hagrid leapt from the sofa and drew a battered pink umbrella from inside his coat. Pointing this at Uncle Vernon like a sword, he said, "I'm warning you, Dursley — I'm warning you — one more word…"**  
**In danger of being speared on the end of an umbrella by a bearded giant, Uncle Vernon's courage failed again; he flattened himself against the wall and fell silent.**  
**"That's better," said Hagrid, breathing heavily and sitting back down on the sofa, which this time sagged right down to the floor.**  
**Harry, meanwhile, still had questions to ask, hundreds of them.**  
**"But what happened to Vol-, sorry — I mean, You-Know-Who?"**

"That won't last long." said Ron, chuckling.  
"No it won't." said Harry.

**"Good question, Harry. Disappeared. Vanished. Same night he tried ter kill you. Makes yeh even more famous. That's the biggest myst'ry, see… he was gettin' more an' more powerful — why'd he go?**  
**"Some say he died. Codswallop, in my opinion. Dunno if he had enough human left in him to die. Some say he's still out there, bidin' his time, like, but I don' believe it. People who was on his side came back ter ours. Some of 'em came outta kinda trances. Don' reckon they could've done if he was comin' back.**  
**"Most of us reckon he's still out there somewhere but lost his powers. Too weak to carry on. 'Cause somethin' about you finished him, Harry. There was somethin' goin' on that night he hadn't counted on — I dunno what it was, no one does — but somethin' about you stumped him, all right."**  
**Hagrid looked at Harry with warmth and respect blazing in his eyes, but Harry, instead of feeling pleased and proud, felt quite sure there had been a horrible mistake. A wizard? Him? How could he possibly be? He'd spent his life being clouted by Dudley, and bullied by Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon; if he was really a wizard, why hadn't they been turned into warty toads every time they'd tried to lock him in his cupboard? If he'd once defeated the greatest sorcerer in the world, how come Dudley had always been able to kick him around like a football?**

"Sorry, it doesn't work that way, Harry." said the twins.  
"I know that now, but I didn't really know that then." replied Harry.

**"Hagrid," he said quietly, "I think you must have made a mistake. I don't think I can be a wizard."**  
**To his surprise, Hagrid chuckled.**  
**"Not a wizard, eh? Never made things happen when you was scared or angry?"**  
**Harry looked into the fire. Now he came to think about it… every odd thing that had ever made his aunt and uncle furious with him had happened when he, Harry, had been upset or angry… chased by Dudley's gang, he had somehow found himself out of their reach… dreading going to school with that ridiculous haircut, he'd managed to make it grow back… and the very last time Dudley had hit him, hadn't he got his revenge, without even realizing he was doing it? Hadn't he set a boa constrictor on him?**

People in the hall laughed when that was mentioned. "Bloody Brilliant," muttered Ron.

**Harry looked back at Hagrid, smiling, and saw that Hagrid was positively beaming at him.**  
**"See?" said Hagrid. "Harry Potter, not a wizard — you wait, you'll be right famous at Hogwarts."**  
**But Uncle Vernon wasn't going to give in without a fight.**  
**"Haven't I told you he's not going?" he hissed. "He's going to Stonewall High and he'll be grateful for it. I've read those letters and he needs all sorts of rubbish — spell books and wands and —"**  
**"If he wants ter go, a great Muggle like you won't stop him," growled Hagrid. "Stop Lily an' James Potter's son goin' ter Hogwarts! Yer mad. His name's been down ever since he was born. He's off ter the finest school of witchcraft and wizardry in the world. Seven years there and he won't know himself. He'll be with youngsters of his own sort, fer a change, an' he'll be under the greatest headmaster Hogwarts ever had Albus Dumbled—"**  
**"I AM NOT PAYING FOR SOME CRACKPOT OLD FOOL TO TEACH HIM MAGIC TRICKS!" yelled Uncle Vernon.**

"He's gonna get it now!" said the twins in glee.

**But he had finally gone too far. Hagrid seized his umbrella and whirled it over his head, "NEVER —" he thundered, "— INSULT — ALBUS — DUMBLEDORE — IN — FRONT — OF — ME!"**  
**He brought the umbrella swishing down through the air to point at Dudley — there was a flash of violet light, a sound like a firecracker, a sharp squeal, and the next second, Dudley was dancing on the spot with his hands clasped over his fat bottom, howling in pain. When he turned his back on them, Harry saw a curly pig's tail poking through a hole in his trousers.**

People laughed.  
"Amazing!" said the twins.

**Uncle Vernon roared. Pulling Aunt Petunia and Dudley into the other room, he cast one last terrified look at Hagrid and slammed the door behind them.**  
**Hagrid looked down at his umbrella and stroked his beard.**  
**"Shouldn'ta lost me temper," he said ruefully, "but it didn't work anyway. Meant ter turn him into a pig, but I suppose he was so much like a pig anyway there wasn't much left ter do."**

"True," said the twins, chuckling along with most of the hall.

**He cast a sideways look at Harry under his bushy eyebrows.**  
**"Be grateful if yeh didn't mention that ter anyone at Hogwarts," he said. "I'm — er — not supposed ter do magic, strictly speakin'. I was allowed ter do a bit ter follow yeh an' get yer letters to yeh an' stuff — one o' the reasons I was so keen ter take on the job."**  
**"Why aren't you supposed to do magic?" asked Harry.**  
**"Oh, well — I was at Hogwarts meself but I — er — got expelled, ter tell yeh the truth. In me third year. They snapped me wand in half an' everything. But Dumbledore let me stay on as gamekeeper. Great man, Dumbledore."**  
**"Why were you expelled?"**

"He won't tell you." sang the twins. Then they looked at the Trio's smug faces. "No way. When did you find out?"  
"Second year." they said in unison. The twins shook their heads, chuckling.

**"It's gettin' late and we've got lots ter do tomorrow," said Hagrid loudly. "Gotta get up ter town, get all yer books an' that."**  
**He took off his thick black coat and threw it to Harry.**  
**"You can kip under that," he said. "Don' mind if it wriggles a bit, I think I still got a couple o' doormice in one o' the pockets."**

"That's the end of the chapter." said Hagrid closing the book.  
"Okay," said Dumbledore. "Who would like to read next?"  
"I think Draco should, Headmaster." said Harry, smirking.  
"Okay," said Dumbledore, levitating the book to Draco.  
Once Draco got the book, he opened to the correct page and groaned at the title.  
**"Chapter Five, Diagon Alley,"** read Draco.

* * *

**I put a poll on my account about what couples should be in this story. Please Vote!**


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